'L  I  B  R.AFIY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 
or    ILLINOIS 


977.381 

Ml2p 


111.  Hist.  Surv. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


OF 


Christian  County, 

Illinois. 


By  HON.  J.  C.  McBRIDE. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


'A  people  that  take  no  pride  in  the  noble   achievements  of  remote  ancestors  will  never 
achieve   anything   worthy   to  be  remembered  with  pride  by 


remote  generations." — Macauley. 


CHICAGO; 
THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  CO, 

19C4, 


g 


Dedicated  to  the  Pioneers  and  to  the  Living  Representative 

Citizens  of  Christian  County.  \ 


PREFACE. 


THE  undersigned,  at  the  request  of  the  pubhshers,  The  S.  J.  Clarke 
Pubhshing  Co.,  herewitli  sulmiits  to  the  reader  a  brief  history  of  many 
of  the  important  events  that  have  transpired  in  the  County  of  Christian 
since  its  organization.  He  is  satisfied  that  many  events  have  transpired  quite 
as  important,  if  not  more  so.  than  the  ones  submitted,  but  having  to  depend 
upon  information  received  from  (hfferent  sources,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
gather  all  of  the  matters  that  should  be  included  in  a  history  of  this  character, 
and  the  limited  space  would  prohibit  chronicling  the  many  other  things  that 
might  be  of  interest  to  the  public.  The  early  events  being  beyond  the  memory 
of  the  most  of  the  present  generation,  the  reader  can  appreciate  the  difficulty 
in  gathering  them  together. 

The  writer  desires  to  ackn(jwledge  the  valuable  assistance  received  by  him 
from  the  notes  compiled  by  the  late  Dr.  Calvin  Goudy,  in  a  former  work  edited 
or  prepared  by  him.  Had  it  not  l^een  for  the  preservation,  by  him,  of  the  inci- 
dents pertaining  to  the  early  'settlement  of  Christian  county,  it  would  have 
been  almost  impossible  to  have  obtained  a  correct  or  extended  idea  of  the  early 
events.  The  writer  also  desires  to  acknowledge  the  valuable  assistance  ren- 
dered by  the  late  A.  D.  Wel;b,  in  the  preparation  of  the  article  upon  "  The 
Press  "  and  for  other  assistance  rendered;  to  John  W.  Dappert  for  the  assist- 
ance rendered  by  him  in  the  contribution  of  the  article  upon  "  Drainage." 
and  to  Miss  Anna  Lois  Barbre.  County  Superintendent  oi  Schools,  for  the 
valuable  assistance  rendered  by  her  in  the  contribution  of  the  article  upon 
"  Schools."  He  would  also  tender  thanks  to  J.  P.  Walker,  E.  A.  Miller,  W.  T 
Vandeveer,  T.  J.  Langley,  Mrs.  Edward  Forrester,  T.  W.  Brents  and  W.  O. 
Wilcox  for  valuable  information  received  from  them  from  time  to  time  in 
the  preparation  of  this  work. 

We  are  also  under  obligations  tr.  The  Courier  Printing  Co.  and  Taylorville 
Journal  for  copies  of  their  files,  and  to  Mr.  Benjamin  Winters  for  copies  of 
the  paper  called  The  Indcpcndait  Press,  published  at  Taylorville  at  an  early 
day  by  his  father,  B.  F.  Winters,  from  the  files  of  which  papers  much  valuable 
information  was  obtained.  The  reader  will  doubtless  realize  the  difficulty 
attending  the  compilation  of  a  work  of  this  character,  and  of  selecting  such 
as  should  be  included.  It  has  1;etn  classified  as  best  the  writer  could  so  as  to 
present  to  the  reader  as  ready  reference  as  possible  of  the  chronicled  events, 
and  hope  that  it  will  prove  beneficial  to  the  public  as  a  book  of  reference  con- 
cerning the  past  of  the  county,  covering  the  incidents,  accidents  and  misfortunes 

192858 


iv  TT^F.l'ACE. 

of  the  past  as  well  as  its  ])resent  resources.      No  douht  the  work  will  he  criti- 
cisech  hut  iu  all  criticisms  1  hope  the  reader  will  appreciate  the  dilliculties  that* 
have  >urrounded  the  preparation  of  the  woi-k,  and  the  diflicult}-  attendiiii;-  the 
description  of  an  e\ent  with  which  the  writer  had  no  jjcrsonal  ac(juaintancc. 

W'hatexer  your  criticisms  may  Ijc,  we  desire  to  assure  the  reader  that,  with 
the  lii^ht  gi\en  us,  we  ha\'e  tried  to  chronicle  a  fair  and  impartial  statement 
concerning'  the  organization,  growth  and  prosperity  of  Christian  county  and  its 
inhahitants.  Hoping  this  will  meet  the  approval  of  the  readers  and  patrons 
of  The  S.  j.  Llarke  I'uhlishing  Co.,  I  respectfully  suhmit  it  to  you  for  a  fair  and 
impartial  consideration. 

J.  C.  McBride. 


UJ 

CO 

D 
O 

X 

H 

D 
O 
O 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


OF 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


INIRODUCTORY. 


All  history  is  a  record  of  past  events. 
Eacli  day  and  each  h(Uir  adds  to  the  ex- 
periences of  men  and  increases  the  amonnt 
of  human  knowledge.  To  "catch  the  shadow 
ere  the  moments  fly"  and  tell  of  them 
through  history  serves  to  perpetuate  the  ex- 
periences of  the  past,  and  thus. create  a  fund 
of  human  knowledge  hased  upon  all  that 
has  orone  before.  It  is  a  work  of  love  in 
that  it  bequeaths  to  those  who  are  to  come 
all  the  wisdom  gathered  from  the  experi- 
ences of  those  who  were  here  yesterday  but 
to-day  are  gone.  Enough  of  human  ex- 
perience lies  buried  'neath  the  sod  to  have 
made  the  world  many  fcdd  wiser  than  it  is 
had  it  been  recorded. 

The  early  pioneers  are  nearly  gone,  and 
their  names  and  what  they  did  and  endured 
will  soon  be  forgotten,  unless  somebody 
writes.  The  record  must  be  made  lest  we 
forget.  The  wisdom  of  the  past  nuist  be 
preserved. 

No  portion  of  this  country  has  changed 
more  than  the  vast  prairie  region  with  the 


IVIississippi  river  running  th.rough  near  its 
centre.  The  northern  and  southern  por- 
tions of  this  vast  plain  are  undulating  and 
much  rougher  than  the  central  part,  and 
have  been  changed  less  by  the  hand  of  man. 
But  through  the  central  portion  occupying 
more  than  half  the  state  of  Illinois  is  a 
vast  level  plain  containing  t!ie  most  produc- 
tive land  in  the  world,  which  little  more 
than  hfty  years  ago  was  a  ^'ast  morass  or 
swanij),  unfitted  for  the  habitation  of  man 
or  beast.  The  land  was  so  level  and  the 
STowinp-  veiretation  so  rank  that  the  falling 
rain  could  scarcely  find  its  way  to  the 
sluggish  streams.  From  a  part  of  this 
semi-submerged  countr}-.  Christian  county 
was  carved.  Surrounded  as  it  was  by  miles 
and  miles  of  country  of  a  similar  nature, 
the  isolation  of  the  early  settlers  was  al- 
most complete.  It  was  only  along  the 
lianks  of  the  streams,  which  were  tordered 
with  trees  and  upon  the  more  elevated  re- 
gions, which  were  few,  that  it  was  possible 
for  men  to  live. 


PAST  AXl)   I'KRSENT 


Tall  grasses  that  would  scarcely  permit  a 
man  to  see  above  them  when  riding  upon 
horse-back  (the  usual  means  of  travel) 
grew  nearlv  all  over  this  vast  plain,  and  to 
travel  from  jilace  to  ])lacc  during  the  rai- 
season  it  was  necessary  to  cross  miles  of  this 
semi-swamp  land  and  horses  had  often  to 
swim  with  their  riders.  To  travel  with  the 
ordinarv  wagon  or  vehicle  was  simply  im- 
possible. The  old  canvas  covered  schooners 
were  seldom  seen  by  the  early  settlers,  be- 
cause they  ci^nld  not  be  used.  And  the 
black  loam  form.ed  from  the  luxurious  de- 
caving  vegetation  of  centuries  was  scarcely 
less  penetrable  than  the  water:  a  horse  could 
scarcely  walk  through  it.  and  the  surface 
would  tremble  for  several  feet  around  when- 
ever a  man  or  beast  would  attcm])t  to  travel 
upon  it. 

Roads  there  were  none  and  the  trails  led 
along  the  ridges  and  always  sought  the 
hiirhest  eround.  It  was  seriously  thought 
most  of  the  prairie  land  would  never  be 
taken  up  or  cultivated  as  it  was  too  wet. 
Therefore  most  of  the  early  settlers  located 
along  the  streams,  and  when  they  visited  a 
neighbor  in  some  other  part  of  the  county, 
they  encountered  all  the  perils  of  the  navi- 
gator as  well  as  tho.se  of  the  cavalier,  but 
it  was  not  the  elements  of  land  or  water  that 
they  feared. 

They  were  neither  sailors  nor  soldiers, 
but  they  were  boih.  and  the  combination  pro- 
duced another  sort  of  being  that  had  the 
hardihood  and  courage  of  both  combined 
with  the  indomital)le  pluck  of  an  explorer  in 
a  new  element.  Had  the  north  pole  been 
.sought  bv  these  earlv  navigators  in  this  new 
element  of  mud,  it  would  certainly  have  been 
found;  if  there  was  no  channel  opened 
they  would  have  opened  one;  if  there  was 
ice  they  would  have  produced  a  machine  to 
navigfate  it,  or  thev  would  have  subdued  and 


transformed  the  elements  as  the  earl)-  j^io- 
neers  did  in  this  county  and  created  an  ele- 
ment with  Avhich  they  were  familiar  and 
then  made  that  element  subservient  to  the 
will  of  man.  A  machine  to  melt  all  the  ice 
about  the  north  pole  would  work  no  greater 
change  than  has  been  made  in  this  county. 
These  early  settlers  knew  not  how  to  use 
mud  and  so  they  transformed  it  into  soil 
and  reaped  golden  harvests.  The  Christian 
county  pioneer  has  changed  the  nature  rnid 
conditions  of  the  soil  and  then  reaped  gold 
as  a  result. 

What  Christian  county  was  could  never 
be  guessed  by  what  it  is  to-day.  The  great- 
ness and  productiveness  of  this  county  is 
more  the  result  of  what  was  done  1)>-  the 
pioneers  than  what  is  being  done  to-day. 
But  these  changes  required  a  peculiar  kind 
of  man,  and  the  circumstances  created  the 
man  here  as  it  always  has  and  always  will. 
The  Christian  county  pioneer  was  a  man  of 
a  peculiar  type.  He  possessed  all  the  qual- 
ities of  the  pioneers  of  the  mountain  fast- 
nesses, the  solid  plain,  the  rolling  hill  to]) 
and  added  to  them  the  conqueror  of  land  and 
sea,  and  beside  that  the  new  element  which 
he  has  subdued  and  transformed  into  wealth. 
He  has  found  the  rich  alhu  ial  mixture  of 
land  and  water  to  be  most  precious,  al- 
though simply  Christian  county  mud. 

And  it  is  of  these  pioneers  and  what  they 
did  that  we  would  write.  It  is  of  these  men, 
yellow-skinneci,  ague-haunted,  jx^orly  clad, 
big-hearted,  generous-minded,  fearless  pio- 
neers that  have  subdued  both  land  and 
water  we  would  tell.  It  is  the  chronicle  of 
a  generation  that  is  almost  gone,  and  these 
pages  and  others  like  them  will  soon  be 
all  that  will  be  left  to  tell  the  story.  And 
how  difficult  that  story!  Each  of  these  men 
was  self-contained.  Each  of  them  was  sep- 
arated   bv    miles    of    almost     inpenetrable 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


9 


morass  from  their  closest  neighbor  and  were 
compelled  to  live  nearly  alone.  None  of 
them  dreamed  of  the  wealth  upon  which 
they  trod.  None  of  them  knew  that  the 
quivering  mire  that  they  learned  to  navi- 
gate was  worth  as  much  pound  for  poiuid  as 
the  most  valuable  food  and  only  needed 
subduing.  To  tell  all  of  the  deeds,  many 
of  which  have  never  been  recorded,  would 
be  impossible,  but  we  can  tell  a  few  things 
— only  a  few — and  we  hope  we  may  giA'C 
those  who  read,  a  slight  impress  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  one  of  the  most  valuable 
counties  of  the  state.  Truly  these  hardy 
men  budded  better  than  they  knew. 

Early  Settlement. 

Before  entering  upon  a  history  of  the  set- 
tlement of  this  county  it  might  be  interest- 
ing to  many  of  our  readers  to  know  that 
the  locality  now  composing  Christian  county 
at  one  time  belonged  tO'  the  colony  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  included  in  the  territory  that 
was  authorized  by  the  act  of  1783  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Virginia  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  U.  S.,  and  on  March  i,  1784,  Thomas 
Jefferson,  Samuel  Hardy,  Arthur  Lee  and 
James  Monroe  by  virtue  of  the  power  vested 
in  them  by  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia 
conveyed  to  the  government  of  the  LI.  S. 
all  that  part  of  the  Virginia  commonwealth 
"lying  and  being  to^  the  northwest  of  the 
river  Ohio,"  which  included  a  vast  territory 
now  composing  many  of  the  states  of  the 
Union,  including  Illinois. 

By  an  Act  of  Congress  of  May  7.  1800, 
this  territory  was  again  divided  and  it  was 
enacted  by  Congress  "that  from  and  after 
the  4th  day  of  July  next  all  that  part  of 
the  territory  of  the  United  States  north- 
west of  the  Ohio  river  which  lies  west  of 
the  line  beginning  at  the  Ohio  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river  and  running 


thence  to  Fort  Recovery;  thence  north  until 
it  shall  intersect  the  territory  line  lietween 
the  U.  S.  and  Canada  shall  for  the  purpose 
of  temporary  government  constitute  a  sep- 
arate territory  and  to  be  called  the  Indiana 
territory;"  and  by  this  name  was  this  sec- 
tion of  country  known  until  February  3, 
1809,  at  which  time  this  territory  was 
again  divided,  and  on  that  date  it  was 
enacted  by  Congress  "that  from  and  after 
the  first  day  of  March  next,  all  that  part 
of  the  Indiana  Territory  which  lies  west  of 
the  Wabash  river  and  a  direct  line  drawn 
from  said  Wabash  river  and  Post  Vincennes 
due  north  to  the  territorial  line  between  the 
U.  S.  and  Canada  shall  for  the  purpose 
of  temporary  government  constitute  a  sep- 
arate territory,  and  to  be  called  Illinois!' 
and  thereafter  on  April  18,  t8i8,  Congress 
passed  an  act  authorizing  the  people  of  the 
Illinois  territory  to  form  a  constitution  and 
state  srovernment  for  the  admission  of  such 
state  into  the  Union  on  an  ecpial  footing 
with  the  original  states.  This  ordinance 
was  adopted  by  the  people  of  the  Illinois 
territory  on  August  26,  18 18,  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  in  convention  assembled;  a  formal 
ratification  took  place  and  a  constitution 
known  as  "the  constitution  of  18 18"  was 
adopted  and  became  a  fundamental  law  for 
the  government  of  the  people  of  the  state 
of  Illinois,  and  in  this  ordinance  passed  by 
Congress,  the  sections  numbered  16  in  every 
township,  except  where  the  same  had  been 
sold,  and  in  that  case  other  equivalent  lands 
were  granted  to  the  state  of  Illinois,  for  the 
use  of  the  inhabitants  of  such  township  for 
the  use  of  schools. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  constitution  had 
been  adopted  and  the  state  organized,  yet 
the  settlements  throughout  the  state  were 
very  few,  in  the  locality  composing  Chris- 
tian county,  there  were  in  fact  no  settlers 


10 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


to  speak  of.  and  this  country  was  then  occu- 
pied and  nscd  In-  the  In(hans  as  a  luinting- 
ground,  hut  as  locahties  along-  the  W'aliash. 
Mississippi  and  llHnois  rivers  grew  nK^rc 
tliickly  populated,  they  gradually  began  to 
reach  out  into  the  more  fertile  prairies  and 
localities  of  central  Illinois.  Some  settle- 
ments had  about  this  lime  reached  the  bor- 
ders of  Christian  county  and  as  these  settle- 
ments advancefl.  the  Indians  reluctantly  but 
quickly  yielded  to  the  civilization  of  the 
white  man.  and  as  has  been  said  in  former 
histories  of  this  county  "they  perished  when 
they  came  in  contact  with  our  civilization 
almost  as  the  hues  of  sunset  wdien  you  look 
at  them  through  the  telescope;  or  as  the 
odor  of  the  rose  vanishes  while  you  attempt 
to  analyze  it.  Before  they  could  be  studied 
as  men  or  as  nations,  as  families  or  as 
tribes,  either  by  their  traditions  and  litera- 
ture, by  their  customs  and  affinities,  they 
had  disappeared,  or  at  least  had  been  so 
degraded  as  to  seem  to  have  fallen  below 
the  level  of  even  scientific  observation." 
However  mysterious  may  have  been  their 
origin,  they  certainly  recorded  but  few  events 
of  their  progress  or  want  of  progress  while 
they  occupied  this  beautiful  land. 

The  manners  and  customs  of  their  ances- 
tors are  but  traditional ;  any  history  of  these 
early  people  must  be  at  best  uncertain,  and 
few  events,  except  the  accidental  ones  re- 
corded by  the  white  man  in  his  pursuit  of 
this  foe  of  civilization  in  his  attempt  to  lay 
a  foundation,  for  the  building  up  and  sup- 
porting of  a  higher  type  of  manhood  are  re- 
corded. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  nature  of 
the  first  denizens  of  the  soil  of  America,  or 
of  the  inhabitants  of  those  who  preceded  the 
white  man,  there  certainly  exists  a  dearth  of 
records  as  to  their  customs,  their  govern- 
ment, their  religion  or  their  homes,  if  they 


had  .-my,  and  as  has  been  well  said  "a  few 
mounds,  some  beads,  a  small  variety  of 
earthmade  ware,  stone  hammers,  implements 
for  dressing  skins  and  n(!W  and  then  one 
of  their  own  idols  of  religious  wcjrship,  to- 
gether with  a  few  personal  articles  of  luxury 
or  dissipation  or  ornament,  are  all  of  their 
domestic  or  public  life  left  to  us.  We  find 
scattered  in  many  parts  of  the  country  their 
gimlets,  arrow  heads,  spear  heads,  saws,  flesh 
scrapers,  and  hammers  all  made  of  stone, 
and  demanding  almost  infinite  patience  for 
their  manufacture.  It  seems  a  wonder  that 
a  people  having  power  to  concentrate  the 
mind  on  such  difficult  work  as  shaping  flint- 
stone  should  have  been  so  barren  in  all  the 
graceful  and  elevating  arts.  We  alternately 
pity  and  despise  them :  admire  their  sublime 
stoicism  and  sicken  at  their  cruelties;  we 
praise  their  valor  and  denounce  their  sel- 
fishness. 

They  gave  us  their  country  and  left  us 
none  of  their  customs.  \Ye  use  the  maize 
wdiich  they  sometimes  culturetl  and  stupefy 
ourselves  wdth  the  smoke  of  tobacco,  wdiich 
they  taught  us  to  consume.  These  are  tlieir 
sole  contributions  to  the '  world's  progress 
in  profit  and  comfort.  Is  it  strange  that 
we  should  forget  them,  or  that  we  should 
readily  persuade  ourselves  that  such  an  idle 
unprogressive  people  should  scarcely  have 
a  right  which  an  enterprising,  ambitious  and 
needy  race  should  respect?  Their  whole 
ideas,  habits.  Avants,  aspirations  and  beliefs 
were  so  different  from  those  of  our  race  that 
we  can  scarcely  arise  to  any  sympathy  wdth 
them  or  their  interests. 

This  portion  of  country  was  known  in  an 
early  day  as  the  "Black  Hawk  hunting 
ground,  and  was  widely  noted  as  a  fine 
hunting  region,  (lame  of  all  kinds  was  very 
al)undant."  and  many  tribes  gathered  upon 
this  hunting  ground  to  hunt  the  Iniffialo  and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


11 


(leer  that  roamed  over  and  fed  upon  these 
lieaiitiful  prairies. 

The  whole  hTe  and  energy  of  the  Indian 
tribes  who  occupied  this,  as  well  as  the  great 
northwestern  country,  were  devoid  of  all  ac- 
quisitions for  the  future,  destitute  of  all 
ideas  o^f  morality,  their  minds  were  barren 
and  uncultured,  except  to  prepare  themselves 
for  battling  one  with  another. 

No  pretensions  of  the  cultivation  of  a 
higher  and  noljler  part  of  man,  no  ideas  of 
the  beautiful  or  conceptions  of  their  future 
welfare  seem  to  have  existed  among  them, 
and  the  poet  has  well  said  : 

"Lo,    the    poor    Indian,    wdiose    untutored 

mind. 
Sees  God  in  the  clouds  and  hears  him  in  the 

wind ; 
His    soul,    pr(xid    science   never    taught    to 

stray. 
So  far  as  the  solar  walk  or  milky  way.'' 

It  seems  that  the  Indian  when  not  at  war 
with  the  white  man,  admired  him,  seems  to 
have  recognized  his  superior  ability  and 
readily  yielded  his  happy  hunting  ground  to 
the  strong  arm  of  culture  and  civilization. 

It  is  said  "even  after  a  few  of  the  settlers 
had  located  here,  there  still  remained  as  resi- 
dents of  the  county  a  fragment  of  the  Kick- 
apoo  tribe;  'Basseina'  the  chief  said  this  land 
was  theirs ;  that  they  had  occupied  the  ter- 
ritory of  South  Fork  'more  moons"  ago  than 
there  are  tracks  of  the  buffalo  upon  the 
plain,  or  feathers  upon  the  wild  fowl's  back." 

An  amusing  anecdote  is  related  in  con- 
nection with  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  oi 
this  county  by  the  surveyor  general  when 
passing  through  this  section  in  1818;  "he 
had  formed  the  acc|uaintance  of  young  Mar- 
tin Hanon,  and  wishing  to  play  a  joke-  he 
went  to  the  chief  and  told  him  Hanoii  was 
about  to  enter  some  of  the  land  he  was 
measuring  off,  and  that  he  wanted  a  wife; 


upon  hearing  this  news  the  young  scjuaws 
gathered  around  the  young  candidate  for 
matrimonial  honors  as  if  they  meant  busi- 
ness. All  of  them  wanted  a  white  man  'if 
he  would  hunt" :  the  survevor  relieved  him- 
self  of  the  difficulty  by  informing  them, 
much  to  his  regret,  that  Hanon  was  a  'poor 
hunter,'  and  so  would  make  a  sorry  hus- 
band." 

The  temptations  for  the  settlement  of 
most  parts  of  Illinois,  including  this  county, 
were  great.  The  richness  of  the  soil,  the 
beauty  of  the  country  and  the  tales  of  pros- 
pective wealth  existing  here  that  were  told 
to  the  people  of  the  eastern  and  southern 
states  were  many  and  magnified,  but  these 
accounts  of  this  wonderland  worked  like 
magic  and  caused  many  people  to  leave  their 
homes  for  the  settling  up  of  this  country. 

Many  were  the  hardships  endured  by  the 
early  settler ;  perhaps  all  of  the  hardships 
that  were  undergone  will  never  be  known, 
Init  it  is  at  least  certain  that  many  people 
came,  but  few  remained. 

Many  of  them  after  reaching  this  prairie 
co'untry  filled  with  malaria  as  it  was,  re- 
mained some  of  them  six  months  and  some 
perhaps  a  year,  becoming  discouraged  by 
the  many  hardships  endured,  sickness  and 
often  death  brought  on  by  exposure,  readily 
sacrificed  their  all  to  get  out  of  this  country 
and  return  to  their  native  home.  It  is  al- 
most impossible  for  the  inhabitants  of  the 
present  day  to  conceive  of  the  sickly  condi- 
tions, brought  on  principally  by  malaria,  that 
existed  upon  these  prairies  at  an  early  day, 
especially  during  the  fall  of  the  year. 

The  writer  well  remembers  that  even  as 
late  as  the  year  1865  when  this  county  had 
been  partially  broken  out  and  to  some  ex- 
tent sulxlued,  that  during  the  fall  of  that 
year  nearly  every  family  and  every  member 
of  the  family  ui)on  the  prairie  between  the 


12 


PAST  AND  IM^^ESENT 


South  Fork  and  Ihe  Chicago  &  Alton  rail- 
road Avere  more  or  less  aftlicted  with  fever 
and  ague  which  caused  the  people  as  a  rule 
to  have  what  was  called  "every  other  day 
chills,"  and  in  nearly  every  household  these 
chills  wmild  conic  upon  alternate  days,  so 
that  one  niemher  of  the  fruuii}-  would  miss 
to-day  and  chill  to-morrow,  and  the  sick  of 
to-day  would  ;idminister  to  the  wants  of  the 
sick  tivmorrow. 

Quinine  and  other  fever  and  ague  reme- 
dies were  in  great  demand  and  were  sup- 
plitMl  to  this  country  by  cart  loads,  and  these 
remedies  were  e\'en  more  hitter  and  unpalat- 
able, if  i>ossible.  than  "Kirk's  Malarion"  of 
this  day.  So  great  was  the  destruction  of 
the  health  of  many  of  the  early  settlers,  so 
distressing  this  everlasting  fever  and  ague 
that  came  upon  many  of  the  people,  so  dis- 
couraging was  it  to  the  father  and  mother 
to  see  their  entire  family  afflicted  with  this 
dread  disease,  that  in  many  cases  valuable 
farms,  partly  paid  for,  were  abandoned  that 
they  might  return  to  their  old  home  and 
health,  and  as  much  as  they  coveted  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soil  of  this  great  prairie,  they 
could  not  endure  the  hardships. 

The  most  of  the  earlier  settlements  were 
made  along  the  streams  and  on  the  higher 
lands,  which  was  more  beneficial  to  the 
health  of  the  inhabitants;  the  prairies  were 
subdued  by  the  people  who  after  becoming 
acclimated,  gradually  pushed  out  into  the 
higher  spots  ujx^n  the  prairie  lands.  The 
lands  most  valuable  of  that  day  are  tlie 
cheaper  lands  of  to-day. 

These  people  were  a  great  distance  from 
market,  for  the  products  they  raised ;  they 
were  compelled  to  drive  their  hogs  to  the 
markets  of  St.  Louis  or  other  places  equall\- 
distant  and  haul  their  grain  to  these  points, 
returning  with  wagons  loaded  with  groceries 
and  provisions. 


The  generations  of  the  earK-  settlements 
of  Christian  county  have  practically  all 
passed  away,  and  it  is  impossible  at  this  late 
date  to  gather  very  many  of  the  incidents 
and  anecdotes  of  the  early  settlement,  ex- 
ce])t  the  few  that  ha\c  been  noted  by  some 
of  the  prior  generations  for  the  purpose  ot 
being  published,  and  in  giving  the  incidents, 
anecdotes  and  customs  of  the  early  settle- 
ments, we  have  taken  most  of  them  from  the 
notes  and  writings  of  Dr.  Calvin  Goudy, 
which  we  think  will  prove  interesting  to 
our  readers.  It  is  said  by  him  "The  first 
men  of  our  race  so  far  as  is  known  whose 
glad  eye  looked  upon  the  beautiful  prairies 
of  Illinois  now  embraced  within  the  Ixnuid- 
aries  of  Christian  county,  w^ere  a  band  of 
hunters  and  trappers,  who  left  Vincennes 
in  the  fall  of  1811  and  following  an  In- 
dian trail  traversing  this  county  in  a  north- 
westerlv  direction  to  the  Illinois  river  and 
stopping  for  the  winter  at  Peoria  Lake  to 
trap,  hunt  and  fish.  They  were  Frenchmen 
and  belonged  to  the  Mission  at  Vincennes. 
On  their  return  trij5  the  following  spring, 
they  were  robbed  of  a  portion  of  their  furs 
and  peltries  and  two  of  the  members  slain 
by  the  Indians. 

First  Settlement  and  Ex\rly 
Settlements. 

"The  honor  of  being  the  first  white  resi- 
dent  of  the  country  now  comprised  within 
the  limits  of  Christian  county  belongs  to 
Martin  Hanon.  He  was  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  in  April,  1799.  near  the  city 
of  Nashville.  He  came  to  the  territory  of 
Illinois  with  his  father.  Michael  Hanon,  in 
the  year  18 12,  and  settled  in  Gallatin  county 
where  he  resided  until  his  father's  death  in 
1817.  The  year  following  his  father's 
death,  young  Martin  in  charge  of  his  mother 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


13 


and  family  emigrated  and  settled  in  Chris- 
tian county  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1818.  At 
first  he  pitched  his  tent  on  the  south  side 
of  a  large  fallen  tree;  their  meat  in  one  end 
of  the  sack  and  their  provisions  in  the 
other  end  were  balanced  in  the  crotch  of  a 
tree  until  a  log  cabin  was  extemporized. 
The  scent  of  the  meats  soon  attracted  a 
pack  of  hungry  wolves,  and  they  were  only 
kept  at  bay  by  occasionally  throwing  a  hre 
brand  in  their  midst." 

The  wolves  of  that  day,  going  in  great 
bands  as  they  fref|uently  did,  were  very  an- 
noying to  the  early  settlers,  sometimes  at- 
tacking people,  frequently  attacking  stock, 
especially  after  night.  It  is  said  by  Mr. 
W.  A.  Goodrich  that  even  as  late  as  1840, 
it  w^as  dangerous  to  cross  the  prairie  after 
nioht  between  here  and  Mount  Auliuru,  es- 
pecially  along  about  Buckhart  Grove  where 
the  wolves  were  so  numerous ;  that  they  fre- 
quently attacked  men  upon  horseback  and 
one  who  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  come  in 
contact  with  a  band  of  these  ravenous  wolves 
was  indeed  in  great  danger  of  losing  his 
life. 

"Martin  Hanon  first  settled  and  improved 
what  afterw^ards  was  known  as  the  Squire 
Council  farm.  John  S.  Sinnet,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  Hanon's  and  Claiborn  Matthews 
with  his  family,  Jacob  Gragg,  Eli  Alexander 
and  Kenchen  'the  well  digger"  all  came  to 
and  settled  in  the  county  November  21, 
18 18,  only  a  few  days  after  Hanon.  Their 
nearest  neighbor  in  this  county  in  1820  was 
Ephraim  Cooper,  living  on  the  north  fork. 
Martin  Hanon,  realizing  that  it  was  not 
good  for  man  to  be  alone,  soon  after  im- 
proving his  claim,  determined  to  take  unto 
himself  a  wife.  He  went  down  into  Egypt, 
wooed  and  won  one  of  the  fair  daughters 
of  that  land,  and  was  married  in  Shawnee- 
town  on  the  loth  of  October,  1823,  to  Miss 


Sallie  Miller.  Among  the  usual  attractions 
presented  on  sucli  occasions  to^  his  young 
bride  was  that  he  possessed  on  his  farm 
1,000  bearing  apple  trees;  judge  of  her  feel- 
ings when  on  reaching  her  new  home,  of 
which  she  had  become  joint  proprietor,  her 
husband  directed  her  attention  to^  10  acres 
of  thrifty  crab  apple  trees.  Yonng  Hanon's 
wife  proved  to  he  a  thrifty,  industrious 
woman ;  she  frequently  delighted  in  tell- 
ing how  she  spun  her  dozen  cuts  of  yarn 
in  a  day,  and  at  the  same  time  performed 
her  other  household  duties. 

"The  walls  of  her  cabin  home  w^ere  lined 
with  numerons  bundles  of  spun  yarn  and 
flax,  which  she  wove  into  cloth,  using  a  part 
to  clothe  the  family  and  bartering  the  bal- 
ance for  articles  of  household  use  at  the 
store. 

"Calico  at  that  time  cost  37^/2  cts.  per 
yard,"  1>ut  it  should  be  remembered  that  a 
lady  dressed  in  calico  in  that  day  with  a 
poke-bonnet  in  a  newly  settled  conntry  was 
equallv  as  nicely  dressed  and  as  gayly  at- 
tired as  the  lady  of  to-day  attired  in  silk 
and  an  umbrella  hat. 

"There  were  no  educational  facilities  in 
the  territory  when  Hanon  was  a  boy,  and 
his  education  was  consequently  limited.  For 
a  short  time  he  attended  a  school  taught  by 
Timothy  Rogers,  on  Horse  Creek  in  Sanga- 
mon county ;  Eli  Matthews  and  James  Fun- 
derbm-k,  formerly  of  this  county,  were  his 
classmates ;  the  schoolhonse  was  a  regnlarly 
built  cabin  with  paper  windows,  and  one 
end  open,  forming  a  huge  fireplace;  this  is 
said  to  have  been  the  second  school  taught 
in  that  (Sangamon)  county. 

It  is  related  that  Hanon  was  very  fond  of 
attending  all  the  rail  maulings  and  corn 
shuckings  far  and  near;  he  was  a  lover  of 
athletic  sports  and  he  and  Moses  H.  Brents 
w^ere  accounted  the  most  popular  gallants  of 


14 


PAST  AND   ['RESENT 


tlie  (lay.  They  often  extended  their  tours 
far  into  tlic  lv)clK'stcr  prairie  until  wilhin 
hailing-  distance  of  the  cajjital  of  the  state. 

Martin  was  one  of  the  hest  hunters  of 
that  day.  On  one  occasion  John  S.  Sinnet, 
Jake  (--rag-g-  and  himself  were  out  hunting. 
Sinnet  wandered  off  and  hecame  lost  from 
his  companions.. 

They  came  across  three  Indians,  which 
mo\-ed  tliem  to  hunt  for  Sinnctt ;  the  In- 
dians followed  close  upon  them:  they 
stopped  and  dismounted,  so  did  the  Indians; 
Hanon,  not  being  well  ac(|uainted  with  the 
Indian  character,  became  somewhat  alarmed 
at  their  strange  actions;  they  examined  their 
guns,  and  picked  their  flints;  and  the  In- 
dians did  likewise;  Gragg  then,  in  a  threat- 
ening manner,  ordered  them  to  "puckachee" 
(that  is.  light  out),  and  they  did.  Gragg 
turned  to  Hancjn  and  said,  if  Sinnett  had 
been  present,  he  would  have  shot  one  of  the 
Indians ;  it  was  the  opinion  of  Hanon  that 
they  made  a  narrow  escape. 

In  that  day  Indians  were  quite  numerous 
in  this  ])art  of  the  country.  On  one  occa- 
sion, while  Hanon  was  out  hunting  alone, 
he  saw  a  number  of  them  on  the  banks  of 
South  Fork  -near  the  old  Elgan  mill,  they 
had  killed  68  musk  rats  and  were  skinning 
and  eating  them.  In  one  of  his  hunting  ex- 
cursions, about  the  year  1825,  when  skirt- 
ing the  timber 'west  of  Taylorville,  he  killed 
a  panther,  near  1)y  a  small  stream,  which 
measured  9  feet  from  top  of  the  nose  to 
end  of  the  tail;  this  circumstance  caused  the 
stream  to  lie  called  Panther  Creek,  l)y  which 
name  it  has  been  known  to  this  day. 

During  the  '"deep  snow,"  he  in  company 
wdth  Vandeveer  and  three  or  four  others  of 
the  "Richardson  settlement."  in  South 
Fork  .started  for  0"P)anning's  horse-mill, 
then  located  on  a  farm  about  three  miles 
northeast  of  Taylorville  (at  that  day  the  lat- 


ter ])lacc  did  not  exist)  ;  they  made  a  bee 
line,  ])assing  through  the  prairie  north  of 
the  present  county  seat;  Vandeveer  had  a 
horse  and  the  others  ox  teams;  they  had  to 
l.rerik  the  snuw  ahead,  thus  making  poor 
headwa}-.  They  finally  abandoned  their 
wagons,  placing  the  sacks  on  the  backs  of 
the  oxen  and  mounting  on  top  of  them,  re- 
sumed their  journey ;  -VandeN-eer  ha\ing  a 
horse  pushed  through  first,  and  when  night 
came,  built  signal  fires  to  guide  the  others; 
they  all  battled  their  way  through  that 
night,  hut  suffered  much  from  the  intense 
cold. 

Many  such  hardships  did  the  pioneers 
hnve  to  brave  in  securing  a  subsistence.  The 
summer  following  the  "deep  snow"  there 
was  frost  during  every  month,  rendering 
the  corn  raised  unfit  for  seed  ;  Hanon  gave 
a  yearling  heifer  for  one  bushel  of  old  seed 
corn  in  the  spring  of  1832.  It  was  that 
spring  that  the  steamboat  (Talisman)  as- 
cended the  Sangamon  ri^•er  to  Springfield 
w'ith  a  cargo  of  corn;  it  sold  readily  for 
$2.50  and  $3  per  bushel  for  seed  corn.  In 
the  year  1826,  Hanon  l)uilt  a  cabin  and 
lived  in  it  a  sh.ort  time  on  the  west  side  of 
Spring  Branch.,  where  afterwards  stood  the 
old  "Forest  Mill,"  south  of  Taylorville;  he 
returned  again  as  a  resident  of  South  Fork. 

In  1834  he  ]nnxhased  an  interest  in  the 
"Knuckols  and  ^^'allace"  water  mill,  after- 
wards more  familiarly  known  as  the  "Elgan 
mill."  Fie  moved  his  family  and  settled  on 
the  hanks  of  the  Sangamon  near  the  mill. 
It  was  here  his  aged  mother  died  in  1838. 
Soon  after  this  sad  event,  he  sold  out  his 
interest  in  the  mill  to  Jesse  Elgan^  and  in 
1839  settled  permanently  on  his  farm,  five 
miles  northwest  of  Taylorville;  it  was  on 
the  north  side  of  Horseshoe  prairie,  lately 
owned  by  Josiah  A.  Hill.  On  this  farm  he 
resided  nearly  a  (juarter  of  a  century ;  here 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


15 


his  aged  partner  died  on  the  28th  of  May, 
1862;  she  was  l)uried  in  Horseshoe  grave- 
yard. He  had  a  family  of  1 1  children ;  after 
the  death  of  liis  wife,  the  children  having 
grown  up  and  gone  to  houses  of  their  own, 
he  sold  tlie  old  homestead  and  retired  from 
the  active  cares  of  life.  Mr.  Hanon  w-as  a 
man  of  fine  physical  development  and  con- 
stitution, and  was  highly  respected  for  his 
many  virtues.  The  latter  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Mason, 
of  Sharpsburg,  this  county,  where  he  died 
A|)ril  5,  1879,  t'''^is  ending  a  most  eventful 
life;  he  would  have  been  80  years  old  dur- 
ing that  UK^nth. 

Captain  Jesse  Hanon,  Jr.,  is  the  oldest 
son  of  Martin  Hanon,  the  first  settler.  He 
was  1)orn  in  this  state  and  is  now^  a  resident 
of  Clay  county. 

As  mentioned  above,  Hanon's  brother-in- 
law,  John  S.  Sinnett,  Claiborn  Matthews 
with  his  family,  Eli  Alexander  and  Ken- 
chen  Matthews,  his  sons  and  Jacoli  Gragg 
all  came  and  settled  in  the  county  soon  after 
Hanon's  arrival,  the  exact  time  of  the  ar- 
rival of  these  parties  seems  to  be  uncertain. 

Some  circumstances  indicate  their  arrival 
in  1 8 18,  and  others  in  18 19,  but  from  the 
best  information  obtainable,  they  arrived 
late  in  the  fall  of  18 18,  and  a  short  time 
after  Martin  Hanon  settled,  as  has  been 
stated. 

John  S.  Sinnett  was  a  native  of  Lexing- 
ton, Kentucky,  born  March  10,  1796. 
When  three  years  of  age,  his  father  moved 
to  Missouri,  where  yoiing  Sinnett  remained 
until  the  w^ar  of  1812;  he  enlisted,  and 
served  his  term  in  that  w-ar,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged.  Soon  after  leaving  the 
army,  he  came  to  Illinois,  then  a  territory. 
In  the  year  18 18,  he  w'as  married  to  Miss 
Rhoda  Hanon,  a  sister  of  Martin  Hanon. 
Soon  after  this  event  they  settled  in  what  is' 


now  Christian  county;  he  located  on  land 
now  including  the  southeastern  part  of  Tay- 
lor\'iIle.  built  a  cabin  on  the  east  side  of  the 
old  fair  grounds  spring  in  1826.  He  sold 
this  to  Col.  Thomas  S.  Young  in  1829,  and 
built  another  in  the  ravine  a  little  southeast 
of  what  is  now^  the  junction  of  the  B.  &  O. 
and  Wabash  R.  R. ;  Mary  Sinnett,  daughter 
of  John  Sinnett,  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  this  county ;  her  birth  occurred  early 
in  1820.  On  the  8th  of  March,  1840,  he 
moved  from  Christian  to  Tazewell  county, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  January  13, 
1872,  in  the  76th  year  of  his  age. 

Sinnett  w^as  twice  married;  the  second 
time  to  a  Miss  Elizabeth  Perdue;  he  had  10 
children  by  his  first  wdfe  and  three  by  the 
last  one.  He  was  a  great  hunter;  Mr.  Sin- 
nett was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church 
over  50  years  and  died  in  that  faith ;  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Pioneer  M.  E.  church  of 
this  county,  w  hicli  held  its  meetings  at  John 
Brents'  and  Father  Young's. 

Of  the  early  history  of  Jacob  Gragg,  bet- 
ter known  as  Jake  Gragg  and  the  "tall 
man,"  there  is  Init  little  known.  He  was  a 
ranger  in  the  war  of  1812;  at  one  time,  dur- 
ing the  war,  he,  w-ith  others,  were  taken 
prisoners  by  the  Indians ;  some  were  in- 
stantly killed  and  others  were  reserved  for 
more  severe  torture;  Gragg  used  to  tell  that 
he  successfully  ran  the  gauntlet  from  one 
end  to  the  other  without  receiving  serious 
injury.  This  secured  his  safety  and  he  sub- 
sequently escaped.  Gragg  first  settled  in 
Illinois  in  1803  near  Troy,  in  Madison 
county,  and  afterward  squatted  on  the  place 
owned  by  Martin  Hanon  on  Horseshoe 
Prairie  in  Christian  county ;  he,  too,  was  a 
celebrated  hunter,  and  with  Martin  Hanon 
and  John  vS.  Sinnett  hunted  tb.e  deer  and  the 
honey  of  the  wild  bee  in  the  forest. 

Alexander    Matthews    was    a    native    of 


16 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Tennessee;  was  the  son  of  Claiborn  Mat- 
thews and  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the 
county ;  his  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Moore;  his  father  and  mother  were  natives 
of  North  CaroHna :  they  were  married  in 
that  state  and  emigrated  to  Tennessee, 
thence  to  Ilh'nois  in  1817.  They  first  located 
in  the  sontliern  part  of  the  State  and  when 
Alexander  was  about  five  years  of  age  his 
parents  settled  in  this  county.  They  settled 
in  what  is  now  South  Eork  township,  near 
the  stream  known  by  that  name.  •  He  died 
many  years  ago.  at  his  home  in  this  county, 
having  resided  here  ever  since  he  was  of 
the  age  of  five  vears;  he  was  twice  married 
and  raised  a  family  of  four  children  and 
served  as  Justice  of  tlie  Peace  in  the  town 
of  Buckhart.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  left 
a  large  circle  ot  triends  and  accjuaintances. 

The  Brents  family  were  an  old  pioneer 
family  in  this  county,  settled  here  in  1820. 
William  C.  Brents  w^as  born  in  Livingston 
county,  Kentucky,  in  18 14,  and  came  to 
this  county  with  his  w^idowed  mother  and 
family  wdien  about  six  years  of  age.  They 
settled  and  improved  a  farm  about  five  miles 
northwest  of  Taylorville  in  1824.  The  fam- 
ily removed  to  the  farm  half  a  mile  south 
of  Taylorville.  where  ^^'illiam  C.  died  Feb- 
3.  1861.  at  the  age  of  47  years.  Many  of 
the  old  settlers  remember  the  old  Brents' 
cabin  and  its  hospitable  inmates,  all  of 
whom  have  passed  away.  William  C.  Brents 
was  held  in  high  esteem  and  was  the  recip- 
ient of  several  offices  of  trust :  he  was  sev- 
eral times  elected  as  constable  and  served 
as  Sheriff  in  1854-5;  he  was  generous  to  a 
fault;  the  latch  string  of  his  house  was  al- 
ways out  and  many  a  one  he  aided  and  suc- 
cored in  time  of  need.  His  brothers,  Simeon 
and  John,  came  here  at  the  same  time;  the 
latter  owned  and  made  the  first  improve- 
ments on  the  Hall  farm,  two  miles  east  of 


Taylorville,  before  the  deep  snow  in  1830. 
He  sold  out  in  1834  to  Jesse  Langley  and 
returned  to  Kentucky.  In  1831  the  first 
Methodist  meeting  in  Taylorville  township 
was  held  at  his  house.  Joshua,  Simeon  and 
Moses  Brents  were  in  the  Black  Hawk  war; 
Simeon  was  married  Nov.  19.  1839,  to  Miss 
Mary  W.  Blalock.  at  the  residence  of  Mor- 
gan Goode,  J.  P. ;  this  was  tlie  first  marriage 
in  Taylorville. 

The  land  on  which  Taylorville  is  located 
was  entered  by  Daniel  C.  Goode  in  1835; 
Goode  was  a  Kentuckian  by  birth;  he  set- 
tled in  Horseshoe  Prairie,  this  county,  in 
1 82 1  ;  was  a  resident  of  Sangamon  county 
as  early  as  1819.  Daniel  C.  Goode  was  a 
true  type  of  the  j:)ioneer:  in  person,  he  was 
portly  and  erect,  his  l)earing  noble  and  com- 
manding, his  forehead  high  and  broad,  his 
features  regular,  expressive,  strong  and 
masculine.  Pie  was  possessed  of  many 
marked  traits  of  character,  firm,  decided  and 
uncompromising  in  liis  own  views,  he 
quailed  at  no  danger;  a  warm  friend,  a  bit- 
ter enemy.  He  was  what  might  be  termed 
a  pioneer  statesman.  His  judgment  of  men 
and  things  was  good;  in  ix)litics,  he  was  a 
Democrat  and  maintained  the  doctrines  of 
the  party  without  fear,  and  exercised  a  great 
influence  at  elections.  He  was  also  a  great 
hunter,  and  fond  of  sport;  he  assisted  in 
raising  the  first  log  house  in  Springfield. 
It  was  often  his  custom  to  wear  a  buckskin 
hunting  shirt  and  breeches.  He  died  March 
28,  1845.  and  was  buried  at  the  root  of  a 
tree  on  his  farm  that  he  had  selected  as  his 
last  resting  place. 

Miss  Hannah  Hanon,  a  sister  of  Martin 
Hanon,  married  Samuel  Miller  in  Ken- 
tuckv.  They  emigrated  to  this  State  in  the 
fall  of  1823,  and  settled  in  South  Fork 
township  on  a  farm  near  Elgan's  mill ; 
Miller  died  in  1833.     E.  .\.  Miller  is  a  son 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


17 


of  Samuel  Miller,  and  the  only  living  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  and  now  resides  in  Tay- 
lorville;  he  was  born  and  raised  in  this 
county.  Samuel  Wyodick,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, emigrated  and  settled  on  the  Flat 
Branch  in  Prairieton  townshijj  in  1824; 
he  was  about  the  first  white  man  in  that  sec- 
tion, coming  one  3'ear  before  his  nearest 
neip-hbor.  Peter  R.  Ketcham,  who  settled 
about  six  miles  lielow  him.  Game  was  then 
so  plentiful  in  that  section  tliat  he  often 
stood  in  his  cabin  door  and  shot  the  deer. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  18 12  and  also 
in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  At  seeing  the  sol- 
diers mustered  for  the  contest  of  the  late 
civil  war.  his  neart  was  fireu  with  all  the 
patriotic  spirit  of  old;  he  joined  Captain 
Long's  Company  in  August,  1861,  and 
marched  to  Decatur;  the  "boys  in  blue"  had 
gTeat  respect  for  the  aged  veteran  ;  so  ro- 
bust and  active  was  he  that  he  passed  muster 
easily,  giving  his  age  at  J  i — though  81 
years  old — at  Camp  Pugh,  Decatur.  His 
company  formed  a  part  of  Colonel  Pugh's 
regiment,  which  marched  to  .St.  Louis  the 
same  week.  A  correspondent  says  of  him : 
"He  endured  the  hardships  incident  to  the 
tented  field  with  as  much  bravery  and  spirit 
as  did  his  more  youthful  companions  in 
arms."  He  died  in  his  country's  service,  in 
St.  Louis,  April  22,  1862,  at  the  ripe  age  of 
82  years.  This  was  a  remarkable  man,  thus 
to  have  served  his  country  in  three  wars  so- 
far  apart,  and  died  in  the  country's  service 
at  the  age  he  did. 

Thomas  Dawson  was  a  pioneer  settler  of 
this  county,  and  built  the  first  cog  mill  in 
this  section  of  the  country  on  the  Dixon 
Hall  farm,  now  owned  by  W.  M.  Wally. 

Daniel  Miller  was  a  man  familiarly 
known  to  the  early  settlers  and  is  well  re- 
membered by  those  who  ha\T  survived ;  he, 
like  many  of  our  pioneers,  was  a  self-made 


man  and  arose  to  considerable  prominence 
in  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky 
in  1 8 18,  and  at  tlie  age  of  five  years,  came 
with  his  father's  family  to  this  county,  set- 
tling in  South  Fork  township  in  1823.  His 
early  years  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm, 
devoting  his  leisure  hours  to  writing  and 
study.  He  attended  school  about  four 
months  in  all;  was  a  pupil  of  Elijah  Hanon 
( a  brother  of  Martin  Hanon ) ,  who  taught 
the  first  school  in  Christian  county  in  1827. 
in  a  log  caljin  two-  miles  northeast  of  Tay-" 
lorville.  After  this,  he  built  a  small  cabin 
on  the  Reese  farm  in  South  Fork,  below 
Squire  Council's  old  homestead,  where,  in 
1828,  he  mastered  arithmetic  and  made 
progress  in  other  studies.  At  the  early  age 
of  17,  he  taught  school;  took  an  active  part 
in  the  formation  of  the  county;  under  the 
non  de  plume  of  "East  Sangamon"  he  wrote 
and  published  in  the  Springfield  Republican 
several  able  articles  advocating  the  division 
of  Sangamon  county,  and  in  1843  he  was 
elected  Constable  of  South  Fork  precinct; 
also  served  for  a  time  as  Treasurer  of  the 
school  fund.  Soon  after  the  location  of 
Taylorville  he  made  it  his  place  of  resi- 
dence; was  elected  county  school  coinmis- 
sioner  Aug.  4,  1845,  without  opposition.  At 
one  time  served  as  deputy  sheriff,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  this  county  and  as  a 
practicing  attorney  received  a  liberal  share 
of  the  cases  in  court.  In  August,  1847,  he 
was  elected  County  Clerk  for  a  term  of  four 
years,  but  died  the  following  year,  Nov.  9, 
1848. 

Gabriel  McKinzie  was  born  in  j  797  and 
died  in  Taylorville  Oct.  22,  1862;  he  settled 
in  this  county  at  an  early  day;  was  a  great 
fiddler  and  played  for  all  the  dances  and 
frolics  ol  this  part  .of  the  country,  and 
helped  the  young  people  to  break  the  mo- 
notony of 'a  pioneer  life  and  enjoy  the  inno- 


IS 


PAST  AXJ)  I'RESExXT 


cent  .imusenienls  that  the  CiHiiUrv  then  af- 
forded. 

R.  Preston  Lanoley  came  to  this  county 
in  1831  ;  resided  on  a  place  owned  hy  him  in 
Horseshoe  Prairie  for  more  tlian  50  years, 
where  he  (hed  at  a  ripe  old  at^e :  lie  was  the 
brotlier  of  Jesse,  Josiah  and  'Jdiomas  Lang- 
ley. 

Another  old  pioneer  was  Jesse  Mnrpliy; 
he  came  here  in  18J9  and  sojourned  for  a 
short  time  in  Horseshoe  Prairie;  taught 
school  in  1831.  about  two  miles  west  of 
Taylorville. 

We  will  here  gi\e  a  passing  notice  of  a 
few  of  the  other  early  settlers  who  lived  in 
close  ])roximity  to  Horseshoe:  among  the 
numl)er  was  John  B.  Pitman,  father  of  Mrs. 
R.  P.  Langiey;  he  was  born  in  Ireland  in 
1776;  came  to  A.merica  and  settled  in  Chris- 
tian county  in  1830  and  died  in  1834.  He 
lived  and  died  on  Clear  Creek,  one  mile 
north  of  Horseshoe.  Thomas  Jones  and 
family  lived  one  mile  west  of  Pitman's  in 
1829  and  moved  to  Missouri  in  1840. 

Joseph  Denton,  father  of  Isaac  Denton, 
lived  on  Clear  Creek,  before  the  "deep 
snow,"  and  not  far  distant  from  Horseshoe. 

In  1824,  Solomon  Meade  and  his  brother 
Joseph  came  to  tliis  county  and  first  located 
below  "Elgan's  mill,"  in  South  Fork  Town- 
ship, where  they  lived  a  few  years,  then 
moved  to  Bear  Creek.  Solomon  died  Dec. 
12,  1 87 1,  at  the  age  of  90  years  and  up- 
wards, and  was  buried  in  the  Catholic  ceme- 
tery on  Bear  Creek. 

The  Young  family  emigrated  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Christian  county  in  1825,  and  con- 
sisted of  "Old  Johnny  Young,"  his  sons, 
William  (father  of  Peter  Cartwright 
Young),  Ezekiel,  commonly  called  "Black 
Zeke,"  and  Jarret,  all  came  together.  The 
father,  John  Young,  settled  and  improved 


the  John  S.  Fraley  farm,  four  miles  east  of 
Taylorville.  where  he  died  in   1834. 

His  son,  Thomas,  familiarly  known  as 
"15ig  Tommy  Young,"  came  here  in  1829, 
purchased  a  sm:ill  improved  claim  and  set- 
tled on  it.  which  was  a  short  distance  south 
of  the  R.  P.  Langiey  place  on  Horseshoe 
Prairie.  He  was  celebrated  for  breeding 
fine  hogs  and  also  keeping  the  best  stock  in 
the  country. 

Jarret  Young  was  only  14  years  of  age 
wh.en  he  came  with  his  parents  to  this  coun- 
try. 

"Old  Field  Jar^'is"  is  well  remembered 
by  man}-  of  the  older  settlers ;  he  came  here 
in  1825;  was  tall  in  stature,  often  had  to 
stoop  to  pass  through  the  doors  of  many  of 
the  cabins,  and  when  within  not  infre- 
(juently  his  head  would  be  above  the  loft. 
On  one  occasion,  when  thus  situated,  he 
asked  "who  lives  here?"  The  lady  of  the 
cabin  replied,  "come  down  and  see." 

Peter  and  Christopher  Ketchum  were  na- 
tives of  Alabama.  Peter  Ketchum  was  born 
about  1805,  and  at  the  age  of  20,  came  to 
this  county  and  settled  on  Flat  Branch, 
about  18  miles  northeast  of  Taylorville  in 
1825  ;  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  that 
part  of  the  county ;  was  a  Methodist  minis- 
ter, and  is  said  to  have  organized  the  first 
M.  E.  church  in  the  county  in  1828,  at  his 
own  residence,  where  meetings  w-ere  held 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Buckhart  precinct 
(Sangamon  county)  in  1835,  and  re-elected 
in  1839.  after  the  organization  of  Christian. 
He  administered  the  oath  to  the  commis- 
sioners selected  to  locate  the  county  seat  of 
Christian  at  the  town  of  ^Mlenton  before 
they  located  Taylorville  as  the  county  seat; 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court,  Aug.  4,  1845,  and  his 
son.  Green  B.  Ketchum,  was  elected  Coro- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


]9 


ner  of  the  county  in  1844.  Before  the  Civil 
war  the  family  moved  to  Texas,  where  most 
of  tliem  were  killed  by  Indians;  his  brother 
Christopher,  who  came  to  the  county  with 
him,  improved  a  farm  adjoining  where  he 
resided  until  his  death.  It  is  said  that  Isaac 
Ketchum  (whether  of  this  family  or  not) 
moved  to  Alton,  Illinois,  and  there  formed 
a  partnership  with  Unah  Cheatam,  and  they 
displayed  the  novel  sign  of  'T.  Ketcham  and 
U.  Cheatam,"  which  was  certainly  very  at- 
tractive. 

William  S.  Ricks,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
came  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1835  and 
settled  on  Bear  Creek ;  he  was  a  prominent 
character  in  the  organization  of  the  county ; 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  Christian  county, 
and  represented  this  county  in  the  legisla- 
ture in  1844,  and  filled  many  other  positions 
of  honor  and  trust. 

He  had  great  confidence  in  the  future  of 
the  county,  and  did  much  to  encourage  his 
many  friends  and  early  pioneers  to  remain 
here  as  permanent  settlers.  There  was  born 
to  him  II  children;  prominent  among  whom 
was  the  late  Hon.  John  B.  Ricks,  William 
S.  Ricks,  N.  D.  Ricks  and  Richard  S.  Ricks, 
one  of  the  early  members  of  the  Taylorville 
bar,  and  was  the  grandfather  of  the  Hon. 
James  B.  Ricks,  now  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  this  state.  He  subsequently  moved 
to  Sangamon  county,  where  he  died  March 
7>  1873. 

Martin  Miller,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born 
Oct.  6,  1820,  came  to  the  territory  now 
embraced  within  this  county  when  only  five 
years  old,  in  company  with  his  father.  He 
was  one  of  the  pupils  of  the  first  school 
taught  in  the  county,  by  Elijah  Hanoii  in  a 
log  house,  twO'  miles  east  of  Taylorville. 

William  Wallace,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, emigrated  with  his  wife  tO'  Sangamon 
county  in  18 19,  from  which  place  he  moved 


to  this  county  in  the  fall  of  1825,  and  upon 
a  small  farm,  one  mile  east  of  Taylorville, 
Mr.  Wallace  died  on  his  farm,  Dec.  6,  1844. 

A  hardy  old  pioneer  was  John  Durbin, 
better  known  as  "Stumpy  John."  He,  with 
his  sons,  John  Z.,  Josephus  and  Leonard 
emigrated  from  Kentucky  in  1828,  and 
pitched  their  tent  in  the  "Richardson  settle- 
ment," lower  South  Fork  precinct.  He  died 
in  1 83 1  and  was  buried  on  Bear  Creek. 

The  year  they  came,  1828,  was  the  excit- 
ing presidential  contest  between  General 
Jackson  and  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  John 
Z.  Durbin  walked  all  the  way  to  Spring-field 
and  cast  his  first  vote  for  the  old  hero  of 
New  Orleans.  He  raised  fine  crops  of  flax 
and  cotton  in  182Q.  It  is  said  that  John  Z. 
was  the  first  person  married  in  Christian 
county.  He  was  quite  a  hunter  in  his 
younger  days;  many  wolves  and  deer  have 
been  brought  to  grief  by  his  trusty  rifle; 
was  at  one  time  proprietor  of  the  "Durbin- 
Owaneco"  business  house  on  the  county 
road  from  Pana  to  Taylorville. 

Jesse  Langley  was  born  in  Kentucky 
April  18,  1796;  emigrated  to  this  county  in 
1828 ;  purchased  and  settled  on  a  small  im- 
provement made  by  a  Mr.  Armstrong  on  the 
south  side  of  Horseshoe,  about  6  miles  west 
of  Taylorville. 

In  1834,  he  moved  to  and  improved  the 
place  formerly  occupied  by  John  Brents,  one 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Taylorville  (now 
known  as  the  Dalby  place),  where  he  set- 
tled permanently;  here  he  erected  a  horse- 
mill  and  built  a  distillery  in  1837.  He  often 
wore  the  garb  so  common  with  pioneers,  a 
seal-skin  cap,  buckskin  hunting  shirt  and 
breeches;  he  died  March  4,  1S47,  ^t  51 
years. 

In  1827  William  George,  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, emigrated  to  this  county  and  settled 
in  Buckhart  township,  a  few  miles  north  of 


20 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Edinburg.  He  died  soon  after  he  had  lo- 
eated  there  in  the  same  year,  aged  94  years, 
lie  had  a  family  of  six  children,  three  1)oys 
and  three  girls;  his  son.  John  (leorge,  was  8 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  tliis  connty 
with  his  father,  and  has  since  tliat  time  re- 
sided in  this  connty,  except  a  few  years  that 
lie  lived  in  the  state  of  Kansas.  During  a 
great  portion  of  this  time  he  lived  on  his 
farm  in  Ihickhart;  in  1874  he  moxed  to 
Taylorville  and  subsequently  j)urchased  an 
interest  in  a  tloui"  mill  in  Pana,  which 
burned  down  in  1875.  In  ccjnnection  with 
W.  T.  Minnis,  the  mill  was  red)uilt  and 
went  into  operation  in  I'ebruary,  1876. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  lived  in 
Edinburg,  where  he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

James  Baker,  father  of  W.  T.  Baker,  a 
Kentuckian  by  birth,  came  here  in  1828  and 
settled  in  Mt.  Auburn  township.  He  built 
a  saw-mill  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Sanga- 
mon ri\er,  familiarly  known  as  Baker's 
mill:  was  a  constable  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  many  years;  also  took  great  inter- 
est in  all  agricultural  movements  and  intro- 
duced some  of  the  first  thoroughlired  stock 
in  the  ccnuity ;  was  an  industrious  farmer, 
good  citizen  and  a  kind  neighbor;  died  at 
the  advanced  age  of  82  years,  on  the  4th  of 
Feliruary,  1869.  His  wife  died  three  years 
later,  at  the  age  of  82  years. 

1die  first  settlement  of  the  I'ear  Creek 
region  of  the  county  began  in  1829;  three 
families,  Squire  Joseph  P.  Durbin,  a  native 
of  Kentucky;  Nathaniel  Painter,  and  Old 
Grandfather  Durbin,  all  came  together  in 
one  wagon  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and 
settled  near  each  other  on  Bear  Creek.  They 
suffered  many  hardships  incident  to  the  pio- 
neer;  were  compelled  to  go  30  or  40  miles 
to  mill  and  to  do  their  trading.  Squire  Dur- 
bin dressed  a  pair  of  mill-stones  and  con- 
structed a  rude  horse-mill  which  did  good 


ser\ice  during  the  "deep  snow;"  was  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  many  years;  first  elected  in 
y\ugust,  1835,  '^1-  which  time  that  locality 
was  a  i)art  of  Montgomery  county.  In 
1850,  he  moxed  to  Locust  township,  and 
settled  one  mile  south  of  Ovvaneeo,  where 
be  continued  to  live  until  his  death,  Oct.  5, 
1875.  At  one  time  there  was  a  large  con- 
nection of  the  Durbin  family  lixing  in  this 
county;  they  were  nearly  all  adherents  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  and  they 
looked  u])  to  the  Esquire  as  a  kind  of  spirit- 
urd  father  and  adviser,  in  the  absence  of  a 
priest.  He  was  the  father  of  Hiram  Dur- 
bin. a  prominent  man  of  the  county  at  the 
])resent  time. 

The  Richardsons  all  came  from  Christian 
County,  Kentucky,  and  formed  what  has 
been  known  as  the  "Richardson  Settlement" 
in  1829.  Isaac  Richardson,  Jr.,  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county;  lost  his  arm  by 
accident  in  a  threshing  machine.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Amos  Richardson  & 
Bro.,  in  the  dry-goods  business  in  Taylor- 
ville at  the  time  of  his  death,  Jan.  19,  1851  ; 
he  was  a  bachelor. 

William  Richardson,  brother  of  Robert 
Richardson,  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina; emigrated  to  Kentucky  and  from  there, 
with  his  brother,  to  this  county  in  1829, 
and  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the  prairie. 
His  wife's  name  was  Jemima  Richardson; 
they  had  nine  children  born  to  them. 

Isaac  Richardson,  Sr.,  died  Jan.  18, 
1872;  Harvey  Richardson  died  May  10, 
1873.  These  two  brothers  lived  about  a 
nnle  northwest  of  "Ralston's  Bridge,"  and 
both  lie  buried  in  the  old  b^inley  graveyard. 

Robert  Richardson,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  born  July  3,  1785,  married  a  Miss 
Elizabeth  West  in  1805;  emigrated  to  Ken- 
tuckv  in  i8o<;  and  from  there  to  Illinois  in 
1829;  settled  on  a  farm  ten  miles  west  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


21 


Taylorville,  where  he  Hvecl  until  his  death, 
Nov.  17,  1855.  His  farm  was  on  the  west 
side  of  the  nrairie,  and  his  brother  Wihiam's 
on  the  east ;  they  both  had  large  families  and 
many  of  their  descendants  are  still  living  in 
the  county. 

Robert  was  a  great  friend  and  supporter 
of  religion,  and  through  his  energies  a 
Methodist  society  was  organized  at  an  early 
date.  Services  were  held  in  the  school-house 
near  b}-  until  the  erection  of  a  new  house 
of  worship ;  it  is  now  known  as  the  Bethany 
M.  E.  church.  When  he  arrived  in  this 
count}'.  South  Fork  had  but  few  inhabitants; 
he  put  up  a  double  log  house  with  an  entr}' 
Ijetween  late  in  the  fall  and  c^id  not  get  time 
to  make  doors,  but  hung  up  quilts  instead, 
which  afforded  poor  protection  against  the 
cold  winds  and  drifting  snow. 

Amos  Richardson  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky Nov.  6,  181 1  :  was  married  in  Sanga- 
mon  county  and  had  a  large  family  born 
to  him ;  he  held  several  offices  in  the  county ; 
was  elected  Constable  Aug.  5,  1839;  was 
the  first  Deputy  Sheriff  in  1839;  was  elected 
Sheriff  Aug.  i.  1842,  and  a  member  of  the 
County  Court  Nov.  6,  1849;  ^^'^s  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  a  good 
citizen  and  highly  esteemed  for  his  moral 
v.'orth;  died  in  Taylorville  Nov.  i,  1852. 
He  was  the  father  of  I.  W.  Richardson,  at 
present  a  merchant  in  Taylorville. 

Jesse  Richardson  lived  on  a  farm  near  his 
father  for  many  years,  but  subsequently 
moved  to  Taylorville;  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  county  in  1829;  was  never  mar- 
ried; he  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in 
1849,  ^"d  died  Sept.  23,  1855. 

James  Minnis  came  to  this  county  also  in 
1829  and  settled  and  improved  a  farm  on 
"Horseshoe  Prairie,"  six  miles  northwest 
of  Taylorville,  where  he  died  in  i860.     His 


wife  survived  him  until  1873;  they  had  10 
children,  some  of  whom  are  still  living. 

Shadrick  J.  Campbell  was  a  veteran  of 
the  war  of  1812,  and  a  soldier  of  the  Black 
Hawk  war ;  was  born  in  East  Tennessee 
and  emigrated  early  in  the  fall  of  1829  with 
his  family  to  this  county,  and  settled  on 
Section  3,  Township  14,  3  West. 

The  South  Park  timber  projected  out  into 
the  prairie  at  his  place,  and  it  took  the  name 
of  "Campbell's  Point,"  by  which  it  was 
familiarly  kno\\n  for  years;  soon  after  his 
settlement,  he  was  elected  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  probably  in  1831  ;  he  held  that  office 
until  his  death  in  1836.  He  was  a  candidate 
for  the  legislature,  w-hich  then  held  its  ses- 
sions  in  Vandalia,  but  was  defeated  by  only 
one  vote.  His  wife,  known  as  "Aunt 
Milla,"  was  a  noble,  self-sacrificing,  kind 
and  hospitable  woman  and  survived  him 
over  33  years.  Col.  Thomas  S.,  Marcus  L., 
and  John  Young,  natives  of  Kentucky,  all 
came  to  this  county  in  1829  and  settled  on 
Flat  Branch,  south  of  Taylorville. 

John  Finley,  his  w'ife  and  son  Andy,  na- 
tives of  Kentucky,  moved  to  this  county  the 
same  year;  Andy  was  a  great  deer  hunter. 

J<esse  Murphy,  who  figured  quite  promi- 
nently in  the  organization  of  the  county, 
was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  Feb.  6, 
1792 ;  came  to  this  county  in  1829.  He  set- 
tled and  improved  a  farm  about  two  miles 
west  of  Taylorville:  raised  a  large  family, 
some  of  whom  still  reside  in  the  county. 
He  was  appointed,  April  16,  1839,  the  first 
Collector;  in  1843  ^^^  "^"^'^^  elected  Assessor 
and  Treasurer  for  the  county,  and  re-elected 
in  August,  1847;  i"  1856  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  Coroner,  a  term  of  two  years ;  died 
in  Taylorville  Nov.  3,  1865,  aged  y-i^  years. 

John  Gore,  Sr.,  known  as  the  25-cent 
man,  settled  on  a  farm  four  miles  w^est  of 
the  county  seat  in  1830.     He  was  called  the 


22 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


"t\veiity-fi\'c  cent"  man  from  the  fact  that 
in  sellins^  liis  surphis  corn  crop,  he  wouUl 
nc\'er  take  less  than  twenty-five  cents  per 
l)usliel,  nt^r  woiikl  he  ever  charge  more,  even 
if  the  market  price  was  50  cents  per  bushel; 
he  was  a  zealous  member  of  the  j\I.  E. 
church,  and  his  house  was  a  noted  stopping 
place  for  the  preachers  of  that  denomination. 

The  second  school  in  the  county  was 
taught  by  William  jMcCollough  in  1831,  in 
an  old  log  house,  about  two  miles  east  of 
Taylor\-ille,  above  the  Hall's  wood  pasture 
on  h'lat  Branch  road.  The  school-house 
was  on  the  land  then  owned  by  J<:hn  Brents; 
McCollough  is  .-.aid  to  ha\e  been  a  good 
teacher,  but  at  times  a  little  intemperate,  and 
on  such  occasions  many  amusing  things 
would  happen  in  his  school. 

The  hrst  settler  on  East  Bear  Creek  was 
\\'alter  Clark.  l)orn  in  \"irginia,  April  12, 
1788;  married  a  Miss  Young,  daughter  of 
Peter  Young  of  Ohio,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children;  his  son.  l^ennis  Clark,  was  Judge 
of  Knox  county,  Illinois,  for  a  number  of 
years.  ]\Ir.  Clark  came  with  his  family  to 
Illinois  in  1821  ;  after  several  removals  tO' 
different  parts  of  the  state,  he  settled  on 
Bear  Creek  in  this  county,  J\Jarch  26,  1831. 
He  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek 
timber,  not  far  from  Palmer;  they  came 
from  Sangamon  county  on  foot,  not  able  to 
own  a  team,  bringing  with  them  a  yearling 
heifer,  a  gun,  ax  and  hoes;  they  soon  built  a 
log  cabin.  16x18  feet  in  size,  with  large  fire- 
place and  puncheon  floor;  that  spring  they 
cleared  five  acres  in  tlie  eds-e  of  the  timber, 
and  with  their  hoes  dug  places  in  the 
ground,  dropped  the  corn  and  attended  it 
the  whole  season  with  nothing  but  the  hoe 
and  raised  a  fair  crop.  The  following  win- 
ter was  a  trying  one  on  the  family;  with  no 
team  to  go  to  mill,  they  beat  their  corn  in 
a   mortar   and    used   a   piece   of   punctured 


buckskin,  (h'awn  o\'cr  a  hoop,  for  a  sieve. 
At  this  date,  deer  and  all  kinds  of  game 
were  plentiful  in  this  section,  and  they  did 
not  want  for  meat;  in  1832,  John  Baker, 
who  settled  about  three  miles  north,  was  his 
nearest  neighb(jr.  Christopher  Durbin  was 
also  living  in  the  neighborh(jod.  At  one 
time  there  were  350  Indians  encamping  over 
Sunday  on  Bear  Creek.  They  were  very 
religious  and  held  services  ou  the  Sabbath. 
An  Indian  ]:)reached.  Clark  was  at  onetime 
arrested  at  the  instance  of  the  Durbins  for 
killing  an  Indian,  who  was  very  ti"otible- 
some  in  the  neighborhood,  but  he  was  ac- 
quitted on  trial,  and  those  causing  his  arrest 
again  secured  the  friendship  of  Walter 
Clark.  He  moved  to  Alton  in  1836,  and 
died  in  St.  Louis.  April  12.  1846. 

John  Davis  was  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Mt.  Auburn  Township  in  this 
county ;  was  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tenn. ; 
eniigrated  to  Illinois  in  1818  and  settled  in 
Mt.  Auburn  township,  three  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Mt.  Auburn  in  1832;  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  D.  Milligan  and  there  were 
born  to  him  four  sons,  Henry,  Dial,  Will- 
iam and  John,  and  a  daughter  named  Sarah, 
now  the  wife  of  M.  V.  Swick;  these  chil- 
dren have  been  residents  of  this  cotmty  most 
all  their  lives,  and  William.  Dial  and  Henry 
died  but  a  few  vears  ago. 

Escjuire  W.  M.  Thomas  was  a  Kentuck- 
ian,  and  emigrated  to  this  county  in  1832; 
his  first  WM"fe  died  in  1846;  their  daughter 
was  the  wife  of  Samuel  Brents.  December 
6,  1847,  Thomas  married  Mrs.  Polly  Wal- 
lis.  both  of  whom  are  now  dead.  The  Es- 
quire was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  under 
General  Jackson,  to  whom  he  was  devotedly 
attached.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  on  the  organization  of  the  county  in 
1839.  and  held  the  office  successively  for 
over  15  years  and  until  his  death.     A  great 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


23 


many  amusing  stories  are  told  about 
Thomas  that  occurred  during  his  official 
life;  lie  was  greatly  respected. 

In  1833  Thomas  Young,  Sr.,  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  settled  about  one  mile 
southwest  of  the  county  seat.  Five  of  his 
sons  came  to  this  county;  Col.  Thomas  S. 
in  1829,  James  in  1830  (mentioned  above) 
and  the  other  three.  Frederick,  Ezekiel  S. 
and  John  W.,  came  with  their  father  in 
1833.  "Old  Father  Young"  died  on  his 
farm  March  24,  1845  <  !'•'•''  '^^ife  followed 
him  a  year  or  two  afterwards. 

Gavin  Ralston,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land; married  Miss  Cynthia  Vandeveer  in 
Indiana ;  emigrated  and  settled  in  South 
Fork  on  the  banks  of  the  Sangamon  in  1834. 
The  bridge  over  the  stream  has  taken  his 
name  (Ralston)  ;  a  member  of  the  first 
County  Court;  he  died  in  1846. 

J.  M.  Wilkinson,  a  Kentuckian,  and 
James  Harris,  from  Tennessee,  were  among 
those  who'  settled  in  this  county  during  the 
same  year. 

Gabriel  R.  Jernigan,  liorn  in  North  Caro- 
lina, May  9,  1802,  came  with  his  family  to 
this  county  early  in  1835,  settling  on  Bear 
Creek;  they  lived  with  Walter  Clark  until 
a  cabin  was  built  on  his  place ;  he  was  an  ac- 
tive Democratic  partisan  and  took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  formation  of  the  county. 
On  its  organization  he  was  appointed  by 
the  County  Court  the  first  County  Treasu- 
rer; in  1840  he  was  elected  to  the  same 
office  for  a  term  of  two  years ;  was  also' 
elected  Sheriff  of  the  county,  and  in  No- 
vember, 1849,  was  elected  one  of  the  asso- 
ciate justices  of  the  County  Court  for  a 
term  of  foiu"  years ;  was  also  honored  with 
an  election  as  State  Senator  in  November, 
1852 ;  he  held  the  office  of  Police  Magistrate 
of  Taylorville  in  1858,  and  other  minor  of- 
fices; died  Aug.  3,  1866. 


Jesse  Elgan,  a  native  of  Maryland,  came 
here  in  1835;  located  10  miles  northwest  of 
Taylorville,  near  Elgan's  mill,  which  he 
owned  for  a  time.  He  was  one  of  the  con- 
tractors in  building  the  first  court-house; 
was  twice  elected  a  member  of  the  County 
Court.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy 
Vandeveer. 

John  C.  Whitecraft,  a  native  of  Tennes- 
see, was  born  in  November,  1784.  His 
father  emigrated  and  settled  in  Kentucky 
when  he  was  a  boy,  where  he  lived  to  man- 
hood;  he  was  married  in  Kentucky  in  18 16 
to  Miss  Rachel  Arnett.  Being  attracted 
with  the  glowing  accounts  of  the  great 
"Prairie  State,"  he  emigrated  with  his  fam- 
ily in  the  fall  of  1835  ^"<^  settled  in  Chris- 
tian county  on  Clear  Creek,  about  twelve 
miles  west  of  Taylorville.  He  purchased 
160  acres  of  land  of  a  Mr.  Rathbone,  which 
he  improved  as  his  homestead.  He  com-, 
pleted  and  run  the  mill  which  was  partly 
built  on  his  place  for  a  number  of  years; 
in  time  his  children  grew  up  and  most  of 
them  settled  around  him.  They  were  among 
the  prominent  and  respected  citizens  of  the 
county;  from  numbers  and  position,  the  lo- 
cality has  been  known  as  the  "Whitecraft 
settlement."  Tlie  old  gentleman  was  gath- 
ered to  his  fatliers  on  the  25th  of  July, 
1847,  ^^  ^^^^  ^§^  o^  ^3-  -^^'s  widow  was  ac- 
cidentally killed  by  being  thrown  from  a 
wagon  with  a  runaway  team  in  Springfield, 
111.,  Sept.  23,  1875. 

Elder  A.  D.  Northcut  was  a  native  of 
Montgomery  county,  Ky. ;  was  born  Sept. 
II,  1813;  was  married  on  the  25th  of  Au- 
gust, 1835,  to  Miss  Salena  IMasterson,  and 
emigrated  to  this  county  in  1836.  He  first 
located  and  li\'ed  for  many  years  on  a  farm 
in  Mosquito  Township;  at  that  early  day 
there  were  but  few  settlers  living  in  that  sec- 
tion, probably  not  over  8  or    10  families. 


24 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


In  speaking  of  tlic  many  hardships  and  in- 
conveniences of  the  early  settler,  he  says 
thev  had  no  milk,  no  stores,  no  markets  for 
their  surplns  produce;  St.  Louis,  Beards- 
town  and  Springfield  were  the  nearest  trad- 
ing points.  I'.ldcr  Northcut  attended  the 
first  religious  meeting  in  the  county,  and 
was  among  the  first  to  preach  the  truths  of 
the  gospel  in  this  section  of  the  county.  1  le 
was  several  times  honored  with  official  ][X)- 
sitions  by  his  fellow  citizens;  was  a  Jtistice 
of  the  Peace  in  Sangamon  before  the  for- 
mation of  this  county,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  justices  after  its  organization  in  1839. 
which  office  he  continued  to  fill  for  eight 
years;  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
supervisors  in  1866,  and  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  a  term  of  four  years ;  he  had  lieen 
a  life-long  Whig  and  Republican.  In  1854, 
he  changed  his  residence  to  Prairieton 
Township,  settling  on  the  Esquire  Hammer 
farm  on  Flat  Branch,  wdiere  he  resided  for 
many  years.  He  was  highly  respected  for 
his  ability  and  integrity. 

Another  early  settler  wdiom  we  mention 
with  pride  and  as  one  of  the  most  distin- 
Sfuished  citizens  of  this  count v  in  the  earlv 
days,  and  in  fact  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
was  Judge  H.  M.  Vandeveer;  he  came  here 
in  the  pioneer  era  and  began  life  a  poor  boy, 
and  with  commendable  energy  and  industry 
became  an  honored  and  useful  citizen  of 
the  county  at  an  early  day,  and  retained 
this  position  until  the  day  of  his  death. 
He  was  undoubtedly  a  man  of  great  wis- 
dom; his  knowledge  of  human  nature  was 
equal  to,  if  not  exceeding,  that  of  any  man's 
I  ha\'e  ever  known ;  was  manv  times  hon- 
ored by  his  fellow  citizens  with  positions  of 
honor  and  trust,  and  for  many  years  prior 
to  the  date  of  his  death,  w^as  the  w^ealthiest 
man  in  the  county. 

In    the   latter   vears   of    his   life    he   had 


grown  so  wealthy  and  his  interests  so  mul- 
ti])licd"thal  they  became  identified  with  that 
of  man\-  citizens  (^f  the  county,  so  much  so 
that  it  became  a  matter  of  general  remark, 
and  the  w-riter  at  one  time  heard  Governor 
Palmer  remark  that  it  was  as  impossible  to 
enter  upon  any  enteri)rise  with  the  citizens 
of  this  countv  and  not  encisuntcr  the  inter- 
ests of  Judge  Vandeveer  as  it  was  to  stick 
a  knife  in  the  human  body  without  severing 
some  of  the  veins  of  the  body.  With  all 
his  acquisitions  of  wealth,  he  was  a  very 
indulgent  man  to  those  in  whom  he  had  con- 
fidence and  believed  to  l>e  treating  him 
fairly,  so  much  so  that  this  indulgence  fre- 
quently permitted  men  to  take  undue  ad- 
vantages and  in  protecting  his  own  rights 
frequently  brought  upon  him  criticisms  that 
were  in  many  instances  unjust.  His  name 
became  a  household  word  in  this  county; 
he  was  called  by  those  who  knew  him  inti- 
mately by  the  name  of  "Horatio"  or  "Rash" 
Vandeveer,  and  to  this  day  he  has  many 
namesakes  in  the  county.  H.  M.  Vande- 
veer was  a  native  of  Indiana,  born  in  Wash- 
ington county,  March  i,  1816;  his  father, 
Aaron  Vandeveer,  removed  to  Sangamon 
county.  111.,  in  the  fall  of  1829,  and  im- 
proved a  farm  on  Horse  Creek.  Here  the 
Judge  lived  until  the  age  of  21  years  with 
his  father,  most  of  the  time  laboring  on  the 
farm ;  he  attended  a  pioneer  log-cabin  school 
about  three  months;  most  of  his  education 
was  acquired  during  his  hours  of  leisure, 
at  night  and  at  other  convenient  times, 
which  he  never  failed  to  improve.  His  taste 
for  reading  and  study  of  books  was  ac- 
quired at  an  early  day  in  life,  and  his  in- 
dustry and  ability  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  Hon.  John  T.  Stewart  of  Springfield, 
who  tendered  him  the  use  of  his  law  library, 
h\  means  of  wdiich  he  acquired  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  law.     In  1836,  he  taught  school 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


25 


in  a  log  cabin  on  Andy  Finlev's  farm,  about 
12  miles  west  oi  Taylorville. 

In  time  be  was  admitted  to  the  practice 
of  law  and  soon  became  prominent  in  the 
profession.  For  many  years  and  up  to  tbe 
time  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Circuit 
Court,  was  the  leading  lawyer  of  tbe  county, 
always  employed  upon  one  side  or  the  other 
of  every  case  that  came  up  before  the  courts 
for  investigation,  and  so  prominent  did  he 
become  that  a  litigant  felt  sure  of  winning 
his  case  if  he  could  only  secure  the  services 
of  "Rash  Vandeveer."  Mr.  Vandeveer  par- 
ticipated in  the  organization  of  the  county, 
and  at  the  first  election  held  on  the  first  of 
April,  1839,  was  elected  County  Recorder; 
a  few  days  later  was  appointed  by  the 
Co'Unt}^  Court  as  School  Commissioner. 
June  ist  of  the  same  year  was  appointed  by 
Judge  Treat  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court, 
which  office  he  held  for  many  years.  He 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives in  1842  over  ]\lartin  White,  the 
former  representative,  and  Henry  T.  Lucket. 
both  popular  men.  On  his  return  home,  at 
the  close  of  the  session,  1843,  ^^^  '^^''^^  re- 
appointed Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Ccurt  and 
was  the  same  year  elected  Justice,  and  sub- 
secjuently  appointed  postmaster  at  Taylor- 
ville, and  it  has  been  said  of  Judg'e  Vande- 
veer by  the  early  settlers  that  at  one  time 
he  held  all  of  the  offices  of  the  county,  and 
while  this  may  not  be  strictly  true,  it  is  cer- 
tain he  did  hold  many  of  the  important  of- 
fices at  the  same  time. 

In  1846  he  answ^ered  to  the  first  call  of 
his  country  and  raised  a  company  of  sol- 
diers for  the  Mexican  war,  and  was  elected 
its  Captain,  but  the  company  was  rejected 
by  the  Governor,  as  the  call  of  the  govern- 
ment had  been  filled ;  he  was  shortly  after- 
wards appointed  by  President  Polk  as  .As- 
sistant Quartermaster  in  the  United  States 


army,  with  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  served 
in  that  position  in  the  Mexican  war.  Upon 
his  return  home,  he  was  oue  of  the  promi- 
nent candidates  for  Congress,  but  withdrew 
his  name.  He  had  been  twice  elected  as 
County  Judge  of  the  county  ;  in  i860  was 
again  returned  to  the  legislature,  and  two 
years  later  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  while  in  the  State  Senate  he  showed 
liimself  to  be  the  peer  of  any  in  that  1)ody. 
The  writer  has  read  with  pleasure  one  of 
the  speeches  delivered  by  him  while  in  that 
body,  and  it  certainly  was  a  remarkable  ef- 
fort, and  one  of  which  his  constituents  could 
\vell  be  proud. 

In  the  fall  of  1870  he  was  elected  Judge 
of  the  10th  Judicial  Circuit,  to  fill  the  unex- 
[jired  term  of  Judge  E.  Y.  Rice,  and  again 
in  1873,  which  position  he  held  for  a  term 
of  nine  years,  l)ut  owing  to  the  great  pres- 
sure of  his  private  business  he  refused  re- 
election. In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  no  resident  of  the  county  has  ever 
enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  people  more 
than  did  Judge  Vandeveer. 

James  Funderburk  came  to  Christian 
county  in  the  spring  of  1836  and  settled 
two  miles  west  of  Taylorville,  where  he  re- 
sided until  about  15  years  ago,  when  he 
sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Kansas;  his 
father,  Henry  Funderl)urk,  came  from  Ten- 
nessee to  this  state  in  18 15,  and  settled  first 
on  "Turkey  Hill,"  in  St.  Clair  County, 
where  he  resided  for  t^^'0  years  and  moved 
to  Sangamon  county  in  the  spring  of  181 7 
and  settled  on  Horse  Creek,  built  a  cabin 
and  raised  a  crop  that  year,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  William  Nelson.  He  was  probably 
the  first  settler  in  that  part  of  Sangamon 
county,  and  probably  raised  the  first  crop 
in  that  part  of  the  county  and  was  among 
the  earliest  settlers  of  the  countv.     His  son 


26 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


James   was    quite   young   wlien    his    father 
moved  to  this  state. 

James  R.  Lucas  also  came  to  Christian 
county  in  1836  and  first  located  on  the  west 
side  of  Elat  Branch  tinil)cr.  \vlierc  he  lived 
ahout  the  years,  when  he  moved  to  Taylor- 
ville  in  April.  1840.  He  was  the  first  land- 
lord of  the  "Lucas  Tavern."  afterwards 
known  as  the  "City  Hotel."  and  located  on 
the  north  side  of  the  square  where  the  Jayne 
&  Cheney  huilding  now  stands. 

Lucas  was  horn  in  Tennessee.  Oct.  7. 
1807,  and  came  with  his  father,  Edward 
Lucas,  to  Sangamon  c(^unty,  and  settled  on 
Horse  Creek  in  1827.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Elizahetli  M.  Harris,  daughter  of 
Isaac  Harris,  in  1828.  V.r.  Lucas  was 
elected  the  first  constahle  in  Taylorville  pre- 
cinct, after  the  organization  of  the  county ; 
he  died  June  2.  1862. 

Frederick  Hammer  was  also  a  prominent 
settler  in  1836;  he  lived  to  an  advanced  age 
and  died  Nov.  26,  1866. 

James  Waddell.  an  old  settler,  settled 
upon  and  improved  a  farm  now  adjacent  to 
Taylorville;  he  died  on  this  place  and  the 
farm  passed  into  the  hands  of  James  Young. 

Lewis  H.  Jernigan  was  lx)rn  in  Tennessee 
in  1S08:  emigrated  to  this  county  and  set- 
tled on  Bear  Creek  in  the  year  1836;  was 
married  in  Tennessee  to  Miss  Sallie  Currie. 
They  came  to  this  country  in  wagons  drawn 
by  oxen. 

Isaac  Harris,  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tenn.. 
was  born  in  1780;  married  to  ]\Iiss  Rhoda 
Parker  of  \'irginia  in  1802.  and  emigrated 
to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in  December, 
1820;  moved  to  Christian  county  in  the  fall 
of  1836;  located  and  improved  a  farm  four 
miles  east  of  Taylorville  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  years. 

Among  others  who  came  to  this  county 
during  the  year  1836  were  Ellington  Adams, 


a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  emigrated  with 
his  family  and  settled  and  improved  a  farm 
on  the  ridge  five  miles  above  Stonington; 
Hiram  Walker,  a  native  of  Virginia,  pur- 
chased and  located  on  a  farm  six  miles 
northeast  of  Taylorville,  near  the  Flat 
Branch  timber;  Rev.  Isaac  Haines,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  born  in  1809,  emigrated  to  this 
State  and  preached  for  two  years,  1836-7, 
on  the  Buckhart  Circuit.  He  was  highly 
esteemed  for  his  many  Christian  virtues. 
Died  in  September.  1838,  and  left  descend- 
ants residing  in  this  county. 

Henry  Dickerson  came  also  in  the  spring 
of  this  year.  He  served  as  Constable  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Taylorville  precinct 
for  many  years  and  died  in  Johnson  town- 
ship. He  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions 
and  had  the  nerve  to  follow  them.  At  one 
time  when  summoned  to  serve  upon  the  jury 
in  Circuit  Court  he  refused  to  serve  and 
]mblicly  stated  that  he  would  not  serve  be- 
cause "there  were  two  murderers  on  the 
jurv  and  he  would  not  serve  with  them." 
He  was  excused. 

Judge  \\'m.  S.  Frink  figures  prominently 
in  the  early  history  of  this  county;  was 
born  in  Connecticut  in  December,  1790; 
moved  with  his  father  to  Stonington,  Conn., 
where  he  lived  until  he  was  forty-one  years 
old;  in  183-1,  he  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  engaged  in  business  for  three 
years;  in  May,  1837,  he  with  his  family 
emigrated  to  this  state  and  settled  at  Allen- 
ton  in  this  county,  where  he  resided  until 
January,  1853,  when  he  moved  to  Taylor- 
ville: he  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  18 12. 
He  took  quite  .an  active  part  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  county,  and  by  his  efforts  as 
much  as  any  one  else,  was  due  the  acqui- 
sition of  the  towns  of  Pana,  Assumption 
and  Prairieton  to  Christian  county;  he  was 
elected  Probate  Judge  Aug.  7,   1843,  for  a 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


27 


term  of  four  years,  and  it  is  said  that  on 
Court  days,  the  Judge  would  be  seen  enter- 
ing town  with  the  archives  of  the  office  in 
a  basket  on  his  arm;  he  also  held  other  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  trust ;  he  resided  in  Tay- 
lorville  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about 
sixteen  years  ago.  He  lived  to  the  ripe  old 
age  of  ninety-seven  and  was  much  honored 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Wm.  L.  Hammer,  who  recently  died  at 
Decatur,  was  also  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
oi  this  county;  he  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
Nov.  2,  1817,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years, 
emigrated  with  his  father  to  Sangamon 
county,  Illinois,  in  1827,  where  he  lived 
until  the  spring  of  1837;  ^^  this  date  he  re- 
moved with  his  father  and  family  and  set- 
tled on  the  Flat  Branch  in  Prairieton  town- 
ship. At  the  first  general  election  held  after 
the  organization  of  the  county  in  August, 
1839,  1^^  was  elected  Constable  of  Stoning- 
ton  precinct  and  was  selected  as  bailiff  of 
the  grand  jury  at  the  first  term  of  the  Cir- 
cuit Court.  It  held  its  session  in  the  open 
air  where  the  present  brick  jail  now  stands. 
He  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  in  1844,  and  in 
1846  was  elected  Sheriff.  He  was  politically 
a  Whig,  and  was  very  popular  and  influ- 
ential in  that  party.  October  11,  1853,  he 
was  married  in  Taylorville  to  Miss  Isabella 
East.  In  December,  1854,  they  moved  to 
Decatur,  where  he  held  manv  positions  of 
honor  and  trust,  and  resided  there  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  about  two 
years  ago. 

In  1837,  Thomas  P.  Chapman  came  to 
this  county,  and  joined  the  Stonington  col- 
ony at  Old  Stonington,  where  he  continued 
to  live  until  his  death,  Jan.  16,  1867,  at  the 
ripe  age  of  75.  He  was  born  in  Stonjngton, 
Conn.,  Sept.  12,  1791.  He  served  his  coun- 
try in  the  war  of  18 12  in  the  capacity  of 
■  drummer   boy.      In    early   days   he   was    a 


strong  Democrat.  Upon  meeting  a  new  ac- 
Cjuaintance,  a  familiar  question  with  him  is 
said  to  have  been,  "Be  you  a  Whig  or  a 
Democrat?"  liis  strong  patriotic  feelings 
led  him,  during  the  late  rebellion,  to  be  a 
"War  Democrat,''  which  culminated  in  his 
becoming  a  Republican  and  voting  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  for  President  in  1864.  On 
the  formation  of  the  county  in  1839,  he  was 
chosen  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Court, 
which  station  he  filled  with  honor  to  him- 
self and  credit  to  his  constituency.  To  his 
industry  and  perseverance,  the  citizens  of 
Stonington  settlement  were  much  indebted 
for  the  establishing  of  a  post  office  in  their 
midst;,  he  was  first  postmaster  and  carried 
the  mails  weekly  to  and  from  Taylorville 
on  horseback ;  he  held  several  offices  of  trust, 
and  was  extensively  known  throughout  the 
county  and  highly  esteemed  for  his  many 
social  virtues.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  at  his  death  was 
buried  with  Masonic  honors. 

Nicholas  Sanders  was  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island;  born  April  7,  1805;  emigrated  to 
Christian  county  in  the  spring  of  1837,  and 
improved  a  farm  on  Flat  Branch ;  he  opened 
a  store  of  general  merchandise  at  this  point 
in  March,  1852,  and  remained  in  business 
for  16  years;  his  store  formed  the  nucleus 
of  the  town  called  Sandersville  in  Stoning- 
ton township. 

Among  others  who  came  tO'  this  county 
this  year,  were  Elijah  Behymer,  a  native 
of  Virginia;  Presley  Peak,  born  in  Ken- 
tucky; Rev.  Paris  Pray  of  Connecticut; 
John  Hill,  Sr.,  from  Kentucky,  with  his 
sons,  James  H.,  Terry  and  Gabriel;  and 
Thomas  S.  Leachman,  also  from  Kentucky. 

Among  others  who  came  tO'  this  county 
in  1838  were  Joseph  A.  Hailey  of  Kentucky, 
S.  B.  Sheldon  of  Massachusetts,  Frank 
Haines  and   James   Ferguson   of  Virginia. 


28 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Diirinj^  the  year  1839  the  coiint\-  was  organ- 
i^ed  and  there  was  a  great  itilhix  of  popu- 
lation. Prominent  among  tliosc  wlio  ar- 
rived at  this  date  were  Morgan  ( ioode,  at 
one  lime  County  Treasurer;  Win.  Margis. 
a  Kenluckian;  Joel  Traylor,  a  nali\e  of 
South  Carolina,  an<l  Le\  i  W.  ( iooden. 

David  Rutlidge,  the  "deer  slayer"  and 
"Nimrod"  of  the  Mat  P)raneh,  was  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  born  in  Dickinson  County  in 
1813.  He  emigrated  to  Christian  County  in 
1840;  was  married  to  Miss  .\nna  Harris, 
a  dauohter  of  Silas  Harris,  in  1844;  he  was 
a  resident  of  May  township;  was  very  fond 
of  the  chase  and  devoted  much  time  to  hunt- 
ine-;  it  is  said  that  he  killed  in  one  winter  48 
deer,  besides  a  large  amount  of  smaller 
game. 

lohn  W.  \y\u"A{  was  born  in  New  York, 
Sept.  J5,  18 19,  and  came  to  this  county  in 
1840.  In  that  year  he  taught  the  first  school 
in  Taylorvi/le;  was  by  profession  a  lawyer 
and  was  elected  the  second  school  commis- 
sioner of  the  county. 

Daniel  DeCam])  settled  in  the  county  in 
June,  1843;  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1824. 
For  several  years  he  was  connected  wiih 
Allen's  Great  Eastern  Stage  Line,  whicli 
passed  through  the  county.  Was  married, 
Oct.  7,  1847,  to  Miss  Ternccy  Langley,  a 
daughter  of  Jesse  Langley.  He  purchased 
the  Blue  Point  farm  and  "stage  stand"  in 
February,  1851,  and  moved  there  the  March 
following.  His  farm  embraced  over  200 
acres  of  choice  land,  on  which  the  town  of 
Edinburg  is  now  located.  Mr.  DeCamp  is 
said  to  have  been  fond  of  hunting  in  his 
younger  days ;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  held  other  offices  of  trust  in  his  town 
and  township.  He  served  as  Captain  of 
Company  D  of  the  130th  Regiment  Illinois 
Volunteers  in  the  late  rebellion. 

Mr.  DeCamp  was  highly  respected  1)y  his 


o 


i:co])k'  and  was  of  that  peculiar  ty])e  that  at- 
1  rat-ted  men  to  him;  made  warm  friends  and 
strong  enemies.  Jle  died  in  i-.dinburg  a 
few  years  ago  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

In  recording  the  nrunes  of  those  men  who 
Iia\e  been  connected  with  the  history  and 
de\elopment  of  Christian  County  among  its 
earlier  days,  that  of  the  late  Maj(-)r  D.  D. 
Shumway  must  not  be  forgotten.  Though 
he  did  not  become  a  resident  until  1843,  ^'^^ 
made  an  bonoralile  record,  but  like  man\ 
others,  did  not  live  long  afterwards  to  en 
joy  it;  he  was  born  in  Massachusetts  Sept. 
28,  18 1 3,  where  he  resided  until  he  reached 
the  years  of  n.ianhood.  In  1834  he  came 
west  and  settled  first  in  ZanesVille,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  1837  when  he  came 
to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois.  While 
there,  was  elected  and  served  a  term  as  one 

f  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  of 
Montgomery  County;  was  also  appointed 
Major  of  the  State  Militia.  June  3,  1841. 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  R.  Roun- 
tree,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Hiram  Roun- 
tree  of  Hillsboro',  111.  In  the  spring  of  1843, 
he  removed  to  Christian  County,  first  set- 
tling on  w'ild  prairie  land  about  four  miles 
east  of  Taylorville,  where  he  improved  a 
farm  of  several  hundred  acres.  In  1851, 
he  became  a  resident  of  Taylorville,  where 
he  engaged  in  merchandise,  this  being  his 
occupation  in  former  years,  wdiich  he  con- 
tinued with  success  until  1858.  He  then 
retired  from  active  business  life,  having  ac- 
cumulated considerable  wealth.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  legal  profession,  and  for 
many  years  held  the  office  of  Master  in 
Chancery  of  the  county.  The  Major  was  a 
gentleman  of  culture  and  taste,  possessing 
a  noble,  genevous  disposition,  and  was 
highlv  esteemed  auKMig  his  fellow  citizens. 

In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat.     During  his 
residence  in  the  countv  he  was  elected  in 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


29 


1845  ^  member  01  the  legislature  from  the 
counties  of  Lliristian  and  Shelby,  and  at  the 
following  session  was  elected  Clerk  of  the 
State  Senate.  In  1848  he  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Constitutional  conventinn,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  its  deliberations;  was 
elected  County  Judge  in  November,  1857, 
for  a  term  of  four  years;  he  was  also  inter- 
ested in  both  the  County  and  State  Agricul- 
tural societies  and  one  of  the  incorporators 
and  directors  of  the  Springfield  &  South- 
eastern R.  R.,  and  discharged  the  duties  of 
many  minor  offices.  Much  credit  is  due 
him  while  in  the  legislature  for  the  location 
of  the  Terre  Haute  &  St.  Louis  R.  R. 
through  the  southern  ]^art  of  this  county, 
where  have  sprung  into  existence  tlie  flour- 
ishing towns  of  Pana  and  Rosemond.  He 
was  a  prominent  Mason,  and  in  fact  held  the 
positions  of  W.  M.^o-f  Mound  Lodge  and 
High  Priest  of  Royal  Arch  Chapter  at  Tay- 
lorville  for  many  years,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  a  very  bright  Mason.  While  the  writer 
had  no  personal  acquaintance  with  him,  he 
is  informed  that  Major  Shumway  was  a 
bright  and  intelligent  man.  a  fluent  speaker, 
good  conversationalist  and  was  very  popu- 
lar and  much  loved  by  those  with  whom  he 
associated.  He  died  in  1870.  and  was  buried 
at  the  old  homestead  in  Taylorville,  where 
his  body  remained  until  a  few  years  ago, 
when  it  was  removed  to  the  Taylorville  cem- 
etery. 

Dr.  Calvin  Goudy  was  a  native  of  Ohio; 
born  June  2,  1814;  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  Indiana  in  1826,  thence  to 
Illinois;  in  1832  locating  at  Vandalia.  He 
graduated  at  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College 
in  the  spring  of  1844.  Soon  thereafter,  in 
May,  1844,  he  located  in  Taylorville,  where 
he  acquired  a  lucrative  practice  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  his  death.  Dr.  Goudy 
was  a   very  scholarly  man  and  the  people 


of  this  county  are  indebted  to  him  for  pre- 
serving in  the  form  of  notes  and  manu- 
script the  names  and  other  biographical 
sketches  of  the  earlier  settlers  of  this  county, 
together  with  the  incidents  connected  with 
the  early  settlement.  Had  it  not  been  for 
the  foresight  of  Dr.  Goudy  in  preserving 
these  matters,  it  would  be  impossible  at  this 
day  to  give  the  citizens  any  accurate  idea 
of  many  of  the  early  settlements  or  of  the 
hardships  they  endured. 

The  writer  of  this  article  feels  more  than 
grateful  to  the  forethought  and  wisdom  of 
Dr.  Goudy  for  preserving  such  facts  and 
incidents  as  makes  it  possible  to  give  the 
generations  of  the  present  day  an  insig'ht 
intO'  the  character  and  history  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county. 

Dr.  Goudy  was  the  publisher  of  the  J.  N. 
Picks  Gazeteer  of  Illinois  in  1834;  also 
Wakefield's  History  of  the  Black  Hawk  war 
and  Goudy's  Almanac  for  several  years,  and 
issued  a  journal  known  as  the  Common 
School  Advocate,  which  is  said  tO'  have  been 
the  first  journal  devoted  exclusively  to^  the 
cause  of  education  in  the  Great  North-west. 

In  1847  he  was  elected  Probate  Judge 
of  this  county;  in  1856,  was  elected  tO'  the 
legislature  from  Christian  and  Montgomery 
counties,  and  it  is  said  that  great  credit  is 
due  him  for  having  obtained  the  passage  of 
the  bill  creating  the  ''Normal  LTniversity'* 
and  the  Chicago  Times  of  i860  in  speak- 
ing of  that  bill  gives  much  credit  to  Dr. 
Goudy  of  Christian  county.  He,  at  one 
time,  was  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the 
Rock  Island  Medical  College  and  delivered 
a  course  of  lectures  on  Chemistry  before  a 
class  of  some  eighty  students.  He  erected 
the  first  steam  mill  in  Taylorville  in  the 
year  1850,  which  was  a  great  public  benefit 
and  added  largely  to  the  improvement  of  the 
town ;  he  served  the  county  in  many  official 


30 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


capacities,  and  is  said  to  have  l)een  an  effi- 
cient officer  and  a  man  of  integrity.  He  took 
a  great  interest  in  church  work,  and  csjjc- 
ciallv  in  Sahhatli  scho^jls,  and  represented 
the  Preshyterian  churcli  at  its  General  As- 
semhly  in  New  York.  In  May.  1876,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  A.  Mayhood 
of  Codaz,  Ohio,  to  wliom  were  horn  eight 
children,  and  it  has  heen  said  of  him,  "the 
record  of  his  life  is  complete.  It  is  that 
of  one  who  amidst  the  toils  and  hardships 
of  onr  early  history  held  fast  his  integrity 
and  manhood,  and  moulded  upon  his  asso- 
ciates the  virtues  of  his  character.  This  is 
the  reward  of  the  righteous,  and  many  arise 
to  call  him  blessed." 

Dr.  J.  11.  Clark,  a  Kentuckian,  settled 
first  in  Johnson  township  in  the  spring  of 
1844.  and  was  a  member  of  the  County 
Court  when  the  second  courthouse  was  built. 
He  moved  to  Taylorville  and  there  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  for  a  great  many 
years  prior  to  his  death. 

Joseph  Edwards,  a  native  of  Ireland,  set- 
tled on  Coal  Creek  in  this  county  March 
26,  1845.  He  was  one  of  the  noted  eighteen 
voters  of  ''Stone  Coal  Precinct" ;  was  a  man 
known  for  his  candor  and  integrity  and  ex- 
ercised a  commanding  influence  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  county. 

Another  early  and  prominent  settler  in 
Stone  Coal,  now  Pana,  was  Wm.  Pryce; 
ham  in  F.ngland  in  1817;  came  to  this  coun- 
ty in  1845;  taught  the  finst  school  in  that 
part  of  the  county ;  was  deputy  tax  collector 
in   1845  '^'I'l  ^^^1^^  other  offices  of  trust. 

Fdijah  Duncan,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, settled  on  the  west  side  of  Bear  Creek 
in  1847;  there  was  IxDrn  to  him  sixteen 
children.  Wm.  A.  Welsh,  a  native  of  Ten- 
nes.see,  settled  on  South  Fork  in  1849;  ^Vm. 
S.  Berry  settled  four  miles  south  of  Tay- 
lorville in  T840. 


In  the  foregoing  we  have  attempted  to 
gi\-e  tlie  names  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
county,  together  witli  the  date  of  their  ar- 
ri\al  in  the  county,  and  the  characteristics 
and  jmblic  ix)sitions  held  by  them;  and  in 
giving  these  facts  or  sketches  of  the  lives  of 
these  people,  we  have  been  compelled  to  rely 
largely  upon  the  notes  of  Dr.  (joudy.  We 
have  found  some  whom  he  had  failed  to 
mention,  and  it  may  be  that  there  are  others 
that  we  have  failed  to  learn  of,  Init  the 
writer  has  done  the  best  he  could  to  ascer- 
tain the  names  and  date  of  the  coming  of 
the  early  settlers.  It  is  certainly  gratifying 
to  those  who  are  friends  and  descendants  of 
the  early  settlers  to  have  due  credit  given 
to  them  for  their  participation  in  the  early 
events  of  the  county. 

The  writer  feels  that  great  credit  is  due 
to  these  noble  men  who  were  willing  to  make 
the  sacrifices  they  did  for  the  purpose  of  set- 
tling up  a  wild  countrv,  barren  of  comforts 
and  even  the  necessaries  of  life;  these  people 
were  brave  and  courageous ;  they  saw  in  the 
character  of  the  country  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  the  probalile  outgrowth  of  the  county 
and  the  prospect  for  making  their  children 
and  their  descendants  comfortable  and 
hap[)}-  homes,  and  in  the  subduing  of  this 
country  from  a  wild  and  almost  uninhal> 
itable  waste,  they  builded  better  than  they 
knew,  and  we  have  for  them  the  profoundest 
respect  and  admiration,  and  take  pleasure 
in  expressing  it. 

The  Organiz.\tion  and  Growth  of 
Christian  County. 

In  the  year  1839,  the  legislature  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  then  in  session  at  \^andalia. 
created  Dane  County  under  an  act  entitled 
"An  act  to  establish  the  County  of  Dane," 
.and    this    act    gave    the    boundaries    of   the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


31 


county  as  "all  that  tract  of  country  lying 
within  the  following  boundaries,  to-wit : 
Beginning  where  the  third  principal  merid- 
ian crosses  the  north  fork  of  the  Sangamon 
river;  thence  down  said  river  to-  the  line 
between  Sections  Nine  and  Ten,  in  Town- 
ship Fifteen  (15),  North  of  Range  Three 
West ;  thence  south  tO'  the  southeast  corner 
of  Section  Four  in  Township  Fourteen 
North,  Range  last  aforesaid;  thence  West 
three  miles  by  the  surveys ;  thence  south 
three  miles  by  the  surveys ;  thence  west 
three  miles  by  the  surveys ;  thence  south  to 
the  southern  boundar}-  of  Township  Eleven 
(11),  Range  last  aforesaid;  thence  east 
with  the  surveys  to  the  Third  Principal  Me- 
ridian ;  thence  north  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning, shall  constitute  the  County  of  Dane." 

"Approved  Feb.  15,  1839.  Thos.  Carlin, 
Governor." 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  County  of 
Dane,  as  created  by  this  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture, did  not  include  that  territory  no-w 
known  as  towns  of  Pana,  Assumption,  and 
Prairieton.  The  first  petition  was  entrusted 
tOi  Colonel  Bond  to  present  to  the  legisla- 
ture, and  when  the  act  was  passed,  making 
the  Third  Principal  Meridian  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  newly  formed  county,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  district,  especially  those 
residing  east  of  the  boundary,  were  not  well 
pleased.  It  was  expected  that  the  county 
would  extend  six  miles  further  and  take  in 
the  towns  above  enumerated,  but  for  some 
cause  this  part  of  the  petition  was  ignored, 
and  this  left  the  east  tier  of  townships  now 
belonging  to  Christian  county  still  a  part  of 
Shelby  county.  By  the  efforts  of  Judge 
Fink,  William  B.  liall  and  Aaron  McKen- 
zie  petitions  w'cre  circulated  over  Shelby 
county  favoring  the  annexing  of  these 
townships  to  Christian. 

Proper    certificates    were    obtained    from 


Jesse  Oliver,  County  Clerk  of  Shelby 
county,  showing  the  willingness  of  the 
people  of  that  county  to  make  this  tier  of 
townships  a  part  of  Dane  county,  and 
thereupon  a  law  was  enacted  adding  to  the 
County  of  Dane,  Townships  Eleven,  Twelve 
and  Thirteen  and  the  south  half  (>4)  of 
Fourteen,  North  of  Range  One,  East  of  the 
Third  Principal  Meridian,  thus  extending 
the  County  of  Dane  tO'  the  present  bounda- 
ries of  the  County  of  Christian,  and  added 
thereto  80,640  acres  more  than  was  allotted 
to  it  by  the  original  act.  This  was  indeed 
a  wise  provision  as  it  made  Christian  (then 
Dane)  of  better  proportions  and  of  sufficient 
size  to  properly  maintain  its  organization, 
buildings  and  other  expenses  incident  to  the 
carrying  on  of  county  government  without 
burdening  the  people  with  taxation. 

We  are  pleased  to.  note  that  the  addition 
of  these  townships  proved  a  very  valuable 
acquisition  to  Christian  county,  upon  which 
are  now  located  some  of  the  most  important 
cities  and  villages  in  the  county — many  rail- 
road facilities,  and  the  lands  are  very  fer- 
tile; besides  it  has  been  demonstrated  that 
they  contain  a  very  valuable  coal  deposit, 
and  no  part  of  the  county  can  be  said  tO'  be 
any  richer,  more  productive  or  enterprising 
than  this  acquisition.  The  act  creating  the 
County  of  Dane  also  provided  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  commissioners  to  locate  the 
county  seat,  and  in  pursuance  of  such  act, 
Benjamin  Mitchell  of  Tazewell  county, 
John  Henry  of  Morgan  county  and  New- 
ton Walker  of  Fulton  county  were  ap- 
pointed commissioners  to  locate  the  county 
seat  of  Dane. 

The  town  of  Allenton",  then  located  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  the  present 
county  seat,  and  on  what  was  recently 
known  as  the  David  Hall  farm,  and  the 
town  of  Edinburg,  then  located  about  a  mile 


32 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


and  a  half  northwest  of  the  present  county 
seat  on  what  is  now  known  as  part  of  the 
George  W.  Vollentine  "farm,  were  toth  com- 
petitors for  the  count}-  seat.  The  commis- 
sioners met  at  the  town  of  Allenton  on  the 
joth  (lay  of  May,  1839.  were  sworn  by 
Squire  Ketcham  to  faithfully  and  impar- 
tially discharge  the  duties  imposed  upon 
them  and  proceeded  to  locate  the  seat  of 
justice.  They  at  last  determined  upon  the 
West  Half  (i/>)  of  the  Northeast  Quarter 
(yi)  of  Section  Twenty-seven  (27),  Town- 
ship Thirteen  (13)  North,  Range  Two  (2) 
West  of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian  as 
the  most  eligible  place.  A  man  by  the  name 
of  M.  Eastham,  then  being  the  proprietor 
of  said  land,  Avas  recjuired  to  give  bond  and 
security  conditional  for  the  conveyance  of  a 
public  square  of  not  less  than  two  acres  of 
said  land  to  said  county,  on  which  to  locate 
a  courthouse,  and  for  the  payment  of  Three 
Thousand  Dollars  in  cash.  This  record  was 
filed  by  the  said  commissioners  in  the  office 
of  C.  R.  Matheny  (Clerk  of  Sangamon 
county)  on  May  24,  1839.  This  fixed  the 
county  seat  in  its  present  location,  and  the 
town  was  shortly  thereafter  named  Taylor- 
ville;  the  land  upon  which  it  was  located 
was  entered  by  Daniel  C.  Goode,  a  former 
citizen  of  this  county,  in  the  year  1835,  and 
conveyed  by  him  to  Marvellous  Eastham 
and  others.  This  deed  was  acknowledged 
before  Eli  Matthews.  J.  P.,  on  May  24, 
1839,  and  was  witnessed  by  the  Hon.  Ste- 
phen A.  l^ouglas. 

The  county  seat  was  surveyed  and  platted 
b\-  T.  M.  Neal,  County  Surveyor  of  Sanga- 
mon county,  by  a  company  composed  of 
Dr.  Richard  F.  Barrett,  Hon.  John  Taylor, 
Marvellous  Eastham  and  Robert  Allen,  citi- 
zens of  Springfield.  111. 

As  the  county  seat  was  located  upon  pri- 
vate property,  it  became  neccssarv  under  the 


law  for  the  owners  of  such  pri\-ate  property 
to  pay  a  bonus  of  Three  Th(jusand  Dollars, 
to  be  used  in  public  improvements,  and  this 
company  agreed  t(j  pay  said  amount  and 
executed  their  obligations  therefor.  The 
obligations  were  not  ])aid  at  maturity,  and 
suit  was  instituted  thereon  and  settlement 
was  made.  By  the  terms  of  the  settlement  \ 
the  company  agreed  to  convey  to  the  county 
"the  public  square  and  seventy-eight  towm 
lots  in  Taylorville"  ;  it  is  said  that  these  lots 
were  afterwards  sold  at  merely  nominal 
prices  by  the  count}'  authorities  to  persons 
agreeing  to  impro\-e  them,  and  we  are  in- 
formed from  the  pen  of  an  old  settler  that 
"the  location  of  the  seat  of  justice  was 
looked  upon  by  the  old  settlers  as  an  impor- 
tant event  in  the  history  of  the  county.  It 
was  determined  to  honor  the  occasion  in  a 
suitable  manner ;  therefore  a  sumptuous  din- 
ner was  given  to  the  proprietors  at  the  house 
of  Daniel  C.  Goode,  the  former  owner  of 
the  land.  The  dinner  was  supplemented 
with  an  ample  supply  of  'old  Mononga- 
hela."  Some  of  the  guests,  feeling  its  ex- 
hilarating effects,  proceeded  to  name  the 
new  county  seat,  and  that  in  so  doing,  it 
should  be  in  honor  of  one  of  the  notable 
guests  present.  The  proposition  was  re- 
ceived with  hearty  eclat.  In  response  to  a 
toast  it  was  named  'Taylorville,'  in  honor 
of  Hon,  John  Taylor  of  Springfield,  111., 
one  of  its  proprietors." 

It  is  said  by  some  tliat  there  is  nothing  in 
a  name;  by  others,  that  the  name  is  every- 
thing. In  this  case,  however,  it  must  ap- 
])ear  to  ha\e  been  unfortunate  that  the  "old 
Monongahela"  caused  the  guests  of  that  oc- 
casion to  have  conceived  the  idea  that  Tay- 
lorxille  would  always  remain  a  small  vil- 
lage; they  did  not  understand  the  capacity 
of  the  country  surrounding  it,  and  if  the 
City  of  Ta}-lorville  should  grow  to  a  popu- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


33 


latioii  of  100,000  or  more,  the  word  "ville" 
would  still  carry  with  it  the  idea  of  a  small 
village  and  keep  the  inhabitants  constantly 
explaining  that  it  is  not  such,  but  has  grown 
to  be  a  city. 

The  location  of  the  county  seat  at  Tay- 
lorville  undoubtedly  created  considerable 
comment  and  more  or  less  dissatisfaction, 
as  it  is  said  by  the  Springfield  Journal  of 
the  date  of  Sept.  20,  1839,  which  seemed  to 
be  in  touch  with  matters  in  this  county  at 
that  time,  "that  the  county  seat  was  not  lo- 
cated in  accordance  with  the  implied  wish  of 
nine-tenths  of  the  citizens,  is  a  proposition 
which  has  never  been  denied  by  any  person 
residing  therein,  but  on  the  contrary,  was 
located  in  opposition  to  their  wishes.  The 
citizens  held  a  meeting'  ( and  there  was  cjuite 
a  respectable  collection  of  people  before  the 
location  was  made),  expressing"  a  desire  to 
have  Allenton  or  Edinburg  selected.  There 
was  not  a  dissenting  voice  in  the  meeting. 
Yet  the  commissioners  wholly  disregarded 
this  expression  of  the  citizens." 

It  may  be  that  as  the  population  of  the 
county  at  that  time  was  mostly  in  the  west- 
ern part  thereof  that  the  location  of  the 
county  seat  at  Taylorville  created  some  dis- 
satisfaction, but  it  certainly  was  not  an  un- 
just act  of  the  commissioners. 

The  commissioners  doubtless  realized  that 
sooner  or  later  other  parts  oi  the  county 
would  be  fully  populated,  and  in  view  of  the 
possibilities  of  a  settlement  of  the  county 
in  all  its  parts  at  some  future  period,  and 
the  centrality  of  the  location  of  Taylorville, 
that  the  choice  was  a  wise  one.  By  reason 
of  the  county  seat  being  centrally  located 
Christian  county  has  avoided  the  bitter 
county  seat  contest  that  has  grown  up  in 
other  counties  where  the  county  seat  had 
been  located  to  one  side  or  the  other. 

We    are    told    by    Dr.    Goudy    that    this 


county  was  called  Dane  "in  compliment  to 
Nathan  Dane,"  who  had  been  a  member  of 
Congress  and  rendered  prominent  as  the 
author  of  that  celebrated  Northwestern  Or- 
dinance by  which  that  large  territory  was 
forever  consecrated  to  freedom. 

The  act  was  passed  by  Congress  on  the 
13th  of  July,  1787.  In  a  speech  at  Boston 
shortly  after  the  nullification  times  of  1832 
Daniel  Webster,  in  referring  to  Hayne's 
speech  in  an  ironical  manner  of  "oue  Nathan 
Dane,"  exclaimed  scornfullv,  "Mr.  Havne 
calls  him  'one  Nathan  Dane !'  I  tell  you, 
my  fellow  citizens,  that  Nathan  Dane  was 
no  Federalist,  and,  that  as  author  of  the 
Northwestern  Ordinance,  his  name  is  as  im- 
mortal as  if  it  were  written  on  yonder  firma- 
ment, blazing  forever  between  Orion  and 
Pleiades." 

This  statement  is  made,  as  on  it  hinged 
the  changing  of  the  name  Dane  to  that  of 
Christian.  It  was  rumored  that  Dane  was 
a  rank  old  "Federalist,"  and  effectually  used 
by  those  seeking  the  change.  The  county  at 
that  time,  as  now,  was  Democratic,  and  the 
term  "Federalist"  was  distasteful — often 
used  as  a  term  of  opprobrium  towards  their 
opponents  in  those  partisan  days. 

The  name  Dane  w^as  suggested  and  first 
put  in  the  original  petition,  asking  for  the 
new  county,  by  William  S.  Frink,  a  promi- 
nent "Whig"  politician  at  that  period,  who 
took  an  active  nart  in  tlie  formation  of  the 
co'unty.  This  fact  gave  coloring  to  the 
charge.  At  the  time  he  thought  little  about 
the  political  proclivities  of  the  author  of  the 
celebrated  ordinance,  Imt  selected  the  name 
from  his  known  national  reputation ;  and 
from  the  fact  that  in  the  great  Northwest 
there  was  no  county  by  that  name,  thus 
avoiding  a  toO'  frequent  use  of  names  com- 
mon in  counties  and  toiwns  in  this  and  other 
states.      Since,   however,   a  county  in  Wis- 


34 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cousin  has  been  called  Dane.  Daniel  C. 
(ioode,  an  nld  settler  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing' Democrat,  circulated  petitions  to  have 
the  name  changed.  In  aid  of  the  movement 
a  mass  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  county 
was  held  on  the  open  prairie  where  the 
court-house  now  stands;  Thomas  P.  Bond 
addressed  the  meeting;  made  the  motion 
which  was  adopted,  substituting  the  name 
"Cliristian"  for  that  of  ''Dane."  This  name 
was  suggested  from  the  fact  that  many  of 
the  inhabitants  at  that  time  were  from 
Christian  county,  Ky.  The  change  was  ef- 
fected and  legalized  by  an  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture passed  Feb.  i,  1840.  Hon.  Thomas  J. 
Nance  was  the  representative  of  the  district 
in  the  legislature,  and  it  was  through  his 
efforts  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was 
granted,  and  the  bill  became  a  law.  The 
records  and  proceedings  of  the  county  for 
the  first  year  after  its  organization  appear 
under  the  name  "Dane."  There  was  no 
particular  notation  of  the  change  of  the 
name  of  the  county  upon  the  records.  It 
does  appear  u^xju  the  records  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court  that  on  Dec.  11, 
1839.  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  con- 
\ened  as  commissioners  of  the  County  of 
Dane,  and  on  that  day  adjourned  until  court 
in  course;  then  on  March  2,  1840,  the 
County  Commissioners'  Court  again  con- 
\ened  as  the  County  Commissioners'  Court 
for  the  County  of  Christian,  and  no  men- 
tion or  other  record  is  made  of  the  change 
from  Dane  to  Christian. 

At  a  later  term,  however,  several  reix)rts 
of  commissioners  appointed  as  road  view- 
ers, and  several  orders  for  services  of  the 
different  officers  of  the  court  were  allowed, 
and  in  these  it  is  recited  that  they  w^ere  for 
the  "County  of  Christian  alias  Dane."  And 
this  is  the  only  mention  that  is  made  of  the 
change. 


It  seems  strange  that  a  matter  of  so  much 
importance,  and  in  which  so  much  interest 
was  l)eing  taken  by  the  inhabitants,  that  the 
change  from  Dane  to  Christian  county  was 
not  particularly  noted  upon  the  records.  No 
one  man  has  any  particular  claim  over  oth- 
ers in  the  organization  of  the  county. 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  then  residing  in 
all  parts  of  the  county  took  an  active  part, 
and  were  very  much  interested  in  this  or- 
ganization, and  it  is  said  that  prominent 
among  them  was  Col.  Thomas  P.  Bond, 
Judge  W.  S.  Frink,  Daniel  Miller,  Gabriel 
R.  Jernigan,  Jesse  Murphy,  William  S. 
Ricks,  Aaron  McKinzie,  A.  D.  Northcut, 
Amos  Richardson,  William  B.  Hall  and 
others. 

/\fter  the  county  seat  had  been  located  it 
then  became  necessary  to  arrange  the  courts 
and  offices  for  the  transaction  of  the  busi- 
ness of  the  county. 

The  first  election  for  county  officers  was 
held  on  the  first  Monday  of  April,  1839. 
The  county  was  divided  into  three  pre- 
cincts, the  north  precinct,  with  the  voting 
place  at  Buckhart  Grove;  centre  precinct, 
with  voting  place  at  Allenton,  and  the  south 
precinct,  with  voting  place  at  the  house  of 
John  Z.  Durbin. 

The  judges  of  this  election  for  Buckhart 
were  James  Fletcher,  George  D.  Pearson 
and  John  George;  clerks,  Samuel  Virden 
and  Gustavus  A.  Kilbourn.  For  Allenton 
judges  were  John  Estes,  Joshua  Brents  and 
Isaac  Harris;  clerks,  Thomas  S.  Leachman 
and  Jesse  Murphy.  At  Durbins  the  judges 
were  Richard  Simpson,  Isaac  Logston  and 
Thomas  Durbin;  clerks,  William  Durbin 
and  Christ  K.  Durbin. 

The  officers  elected  at  this  time  were 
Thomas  P.  Chapman,  Peter  Porter  and 
Gavin  Ralston,  Sr.  Members  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court,  E.  S.  Young,  Clerk 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


35 


of  the  County  Court ;  Thomas  W.  Davis, 
Probate  Justice ;  Wilham  S.  Ricks,  Sheriff ; 
Benjamin  Wilhams,  Coroner;  LI.  M.  Van- 
(leveer,  Recorder,  and  Jolin  S.  Stockton, 
County  Surveyor. 

The  law  required  the  judges  of  the  sev- 
eral precincts  to  meet  at  Allenton  and  can- 
vass the  votes  and  deliver  to  the  officers 
elected  a  certificate  of  their  election,  which 
they  did,  and  declared  the  officers  above 
named  as  elected. 

The  poll  books  were  retained  by  the 
judges  until  the  County  Clerk  was  cjualified, 
when  they  were  to  be  delivered  to  the  Clerk, 
and  it  became  his  duty  to  make  a  transcript 
of  the  ^'Otes  so  returned  and  transmit  the 
same  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  which  was 
done,  and  we  are  informed  the  returns  were 
mailed  at  Blue  Point,  the  then  nearest  post- 
office,  being  about  12  miles  distant. 


S.  Stockton  was  ap])ointed  Assessor  of  the" 
first  district,  Daniel  C.  Goode  of  the  second 
district,  Thomas  P.  Bond  of  the  third  dis- 
trict and  A.  Council  of  the  fourth  district. 
The  County  Commissioners  then  ordered 
the  Clerk  to  purchase  a  county  seal  for  Dane 
county. 

On  the  next  day,  April  16,  the  Court 
again  met  and  appointed  Jesse  Murphy  Col- 
lector for  the  County  of  Dane ;  Gabriel  Jer- 
nigan.  Treasurer  of  the  County  of  Dane,  and 
Horatio  M.  Vandeveer,  School  Commis- 
sioner of  the  County  of  Dane.  It  then  pro- 
ceeded to  divide  the  county  into  seven  road 
districts  and  appointed  Martin  Hinkle,  Su- 
pervisor of  the  first  road  district,  John  G. 
Fletcher  of  the  second  road  district,  David 
Simmons  of  the  third  road  district,  Allen 
Peabody  of  the  fourth  road  district,  Will- 
iam B.  Hall  of  the  fifth  road  district,  Pres- 


The  total  number  of  votes  polled  at  this     j^^  p^^j^  q,£  ^j-,^  ^-^.^^y^  ^.^^^  district  and  Fran- 


election    was    160;    the    population    of    this 
county  was  then  only  about  1,400. 

The  County  Commissioners'  Court  at  that 
time,  so  far  as  the  business  transactions  of 
the  county  was  concerned,  corresponded 
with  our  present  Board  of  Supervisors,  and 
was  composed  of  three  commissioners.  The 
first  commissioners  selected  for  the  county 
were  Gavin  Ralston,  Peter  Porter  and 
Thomas  P.  Chapman.  They  met  and  held 
their  first  session  of  court  at  Taylorville  on 
Monday,  April  15,  1839.  Their  first  act 
was  to  order  the  Clerk  to  procure  blank 
books  for  keeping  of  records  of  the  county 
commissioners',  recorder's  office  and  school 
commissioners'  office;  they  next  divided  the 
county  into  four  districts  for  the  purposes  of 
assessment,  numbering  the  districts  from 
one  to   four   inclusive,   beginning  with   the 


cis  Adams  of  the  seventh  road  district,  and 
assigned  to  each  of  the  supervisors  so  ap- 
pointed a  particular  road,  being  principally 
parts  of  the  road  then  described  as  extend- 
ing from  Springfield  to  Terre  Haute, 
Springfield  to  Charleston  and  Springfield  to 
Taylorville.  This  was  all  of  the  business 
transacted  at  that  meeting. 

The  County  Commissioners'  Court  again 
met  on  June  24,  1839,  this  being  the  June 
term  thereof.  At  this  meeting  they  drew 
lots  as  to  who  should  be  next  elected.  Gavin 
Ralston  drew  No.  i,  Peter  Porter  No.  2  and 
Thomas  Chapman  No.  3. 

At  this  meeting  the  county  commissioners 
made  the  following  order :  "Ordered,  that 
the  courthouse  be  let  out  to  the  lowest  bid- 
der,  the  undertaker  giving  bond  with  ap- 


north  part  of  the  county  and  dividing  the  proved  security.  Description  of  the  court- 
territory  of  the  county  as  well  as  they  could  house  being  36  by  30  ft.,  21  ft.  high,  and  to 
between  these  four  districts ;  thereupon  John     be  fenced  in  a  workmanlike  manner." 


36 


PAST  AXl)   I 'RESENT 


Notices  were  then  directed  to  be  issued 
for  the  August  election. 

On  Afonday.  Aug.  iJ,  1839,  the  county 
commissioners  ordered  the  Treasurer  to  col- 
lect from  the  proprietors  of  Taylorville 
$1,000,  to  ajjply  t(i  the  building  of  the  court- 
house in  Taylorville. 

In  speaking  (d'  the  road  sui)ervisors  being 
assigned  to  certain  districts  and  their  duties 
to  look  after  particular  roads  in  the  countw 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  county,  at 
that   time,   had    less   public   highways   than 
there  are  naw  railroads  in  the  county.     The 
road  known  as  the   Springfield   and   Tcrre 
Haute  road  traversed  the  northern  part  of 
the  countr}',   passing  through  Mt.   Auburn 
and  the  highway  known  as  the  Springfield 
and  Shelbyville    road    passes    through    the 
more  central   part   of   the  coimty,    striking 
Blueville,  Old  Edinburg  and  Allenton  and  a 
])oint  near  I'ana.    After  the  location  of  Tay- 
lor\ille  this  road  was  changed  so  as  to  pass 
through    Owaneco,     Taylorville,     Blueville, 
thence  to  Rochester  and  Si)ringfield ;  after- 
wards there  was  a  road  laid  out  from  Tay- 
lorville   to     llillsboro.      These    constituted 
perhaps  the  entire  public  highways  of   the 
county   at   that   time:   the  public   was   then 
served   by   running  stage  lines  along  these 
roads  at  such  seasons  as  was  practicable,  and 
people   living   off  of   these   highways    were 
compelled    to    reach    different    parts   of   the 
county    l)y    tra\eling    through    the    prairie 
grass.      In   some  instances,  trails  had  been 
formed  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  a  path  along 
which  the  peo])lc  traveled,  but  in  most  cases 
the  travel   was  across  swampy,   fiat  prairie 
without  anything  to  guide  or  direct,  except 
known   points  of  timber.      The   inhabitants 
of  Christian  county,  however,  were  instinct- 
ively progressive  and  were  not  slow  in  dis- 
covering that  to  constitute  a  habitable  coun- 
trv    it    was    necessarv    to   build    roads    and 


bridees.  As  soon  as  the  revenue  of  the 
county  would  permit,  the  good  work  began, 
and  we  are  told  by  the  old  settlers  that  a 
road  was  surveyed  and  located  between 
Tavlorville  and  Mt.  .\uburn  and  l)etween 
Tav!or\illc  and  many  other  jjoints  in  the 
counts'  as  rapidly  as  it  could  be  done,  l-rom 
an  e.Naniination.  of  the  County  Commission- 
ers' Court  it  ap])ears  that  the  (piestion  of 
builiiing  and  repairing  roads  constituted  one 
of  the  main  objects  to  which  the  attention 
of  this  Court  was  called. 

The   trail    was    sufiicient    for   the    savage 
who  raised  no  crops,   nothing  to  be  hauled 
u])on  the  highway  and  cared  for  nothing  but 
the  present,  but   to   the  man   of  energy,   of 
care  for  the  future  and  looking  forward  to 
an  age  of  prosperity,  the  trail  would  n(jt  an- 
swer  the   purpose,    consequently   it   became 
necessary  to  build  these  highways  travers- 
ing the   different   parts  of   the  county   and 
connecting  the  people  with  other  localities 
bv   whicli   they  could   exchange  their  com- 
modities.     From    the    small    Ijeginning    .of 
highways  thus  described,  few,  imperfect  and 
rude  as  they  were,  a  system  of  commercial 
intercourse   was   started  between    the   early 
settler  of  this  county  and  the  localities  more 
favorably  situated  along  the  river  and  used 
for  trading  posts,  and  as  business  centers, 
and    from  that  day   until   the  present  there 
has  been  a  steady  improvement  ncjt  only  in 
the  numbers  of  the  highways,  but  in  their 
condition  until  nearly  every  section  of  land 
in  the  county  is  almost,  if  nt;t  entirely,  sur- 
rounded by  good  highways,  suital)le  for  the 
convenience  of  the  farmer,  and  for  the  most 
parts  of  the  year  constitute  the  best  high- 
wavs  in  the  world,  excluding  the  macadam- 
ized  roads;  as  the  value  of  lands  advance 
and  the  people  become  more  prosperous  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  good  roads  for  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year  may  take  the  place  of  the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


37 


dirt  road  that  can  not  be  made  to  serve  the 
interests  of  tlie  travehng-  pubhc  dnring  very 
muddy  seasons.  There  is  no  improvement 
that  would  develop  a  country  more  rapidly, 
more  surely  increase  the  value  of  its  land 
than  a  good  system  of  roads  so  built  as  to 
afford  easy  and  rapid  traveling  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  Even  if  such  roads  were 
built  by  special  assessment  of  the  lands  ben- 
efited the  increased  value  of  the  farm,  the 
pleasures  and  benefits  accruing  to  the  home 
would  more  than  compensate  for  the  ex- 
pense.    Let  us  Jiai'C  a  better  class  of  romds. 

Township  Organization. 

In  the  early  6o's  there  began  to  grow  in 
this  community  a  feeling  that  the  business 
interests  of  the  county  should  not  be  left  tO' 
be  determined  alone  by  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court.  That  court,  being  com- 
posed of  only  three  members,  was  not  able 
to  appreciate  the  wants  of  the  several  locali- 
ties of  the  county,  and  that  a  want  of  a  rep- 
resentative from  man}'  of  the  localities  pre- 
vented such  localities  from  receiving  the  at- 
tention that  they  felt  was  needed.  A  feeling 
to  adopt  township  organization  sprang  up 
and  grew  rapidly,  desiring"  to  distribute  the 
power  for  the  making  of  public  improve- 
ments and  apportion  the  objects  for  which 
the  finances  of  the  county  were  disbursed. 

Township  organization  had  been  adopted 
in  New  York  and  many  of  the  eastern  states, 
and  was  highly  approved  in  many  of  these 
states,  and  so  much  were  the  people  of  many 
counties  of  Illinois  pleased  with  the  work- 
ings of  township  organization  that  a  rapid 
demand  for  the  adoption  of  township  or- 
ganization sprung  up  all  over  the  state. 

Many  of  the  people  of  Christian  county 
were  also  thoroiighly  imbued- with  the  idea 
that  township  organization  was  best  for  the 
entire  interests  of  the  communitv,  and   sO' 


persisted  in  their  demands  for  the  submis- 
sion of  this  Cjuestioii  that  it  was  finally  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  of  the  people  to  adopt  or 
reject  township  organization.  It  was  de- 
feated at  twO'  elections,  but  at  the  third  elec- 
tion, held  on  Nov.  7,  1865,  the  proposition 
to  adopt  township  organization  was  carried, 
and  A.  G.  Neel  of  Pana,  Dial  Davis  of  Mt. 
Auburn  and  J.  H.  Vandeveer  of  Taylorville 
were  appointed  commissioners  to  divide  the 
comity  into  towns. 

At  the  March  term,  1866,  the  commis- 
sioners reported  that  they  had  divided  the 
county  into  17  towns,  as  follows: 

Assumption,  Bear  Creek,  Buckhart, 
Adams,  Douglas,  King,  Locust,  Moscptito, 
Mt.  Auburn,  Pana,  Nevada,  Ricks,  Rose- 
mond,  Stonington,  South  Fork,  Smith  and 
Taylorville.  At  the  April  special  term, 
1866,  the  name  of  the  town  of  Adams  was 
changed  to  Prairieton ;  the  town  of  Smith  to 
May ;  the  town  of  Douglas  to  Johnson,  and 
the  town  of  Nevada  to  Greenwood.  With 
these  changes  the  names  adopted,  that  the 
judges  suggested,  have  remained  as  the 
names  of  the  sex'cral  towns  of  this  county 
to  the  present  time.  The  first  board  of  su- 
pervisors was  composed  of  Jacob  Overholt 
of  Assumptiou,  James  H.  Hill  of  Bear 
Creek,  John  Sharp  of  Buckhart,  George  W. 
Traylor  of  Greenwood,  T.  B.  Anderson  of 
Johnson,  William  A.  Potts  of  King,  B.  C. 
Cochran  of  Locust,  John  S.  Fraley  of  May, 
James  M.  Davidson  of  Mosquito,  John  M. 
Hill  of  Mt.  Auburn,  W.  B.  Little  O'f  Pana, 
W.  K.  Eaton  of  Prairieton,  James  H.  Cisne 
of  Ricks,  Thomas  E.  Simpson  of  Rosemond, 
Gavin  Ralston  of  South  Fork,  Asa  Bowman 
of  Stonington  and  W.  W.  Anderson  of  Tay- 
lorville. 

W.  W.  Andersou  was  elected  chairman 
of  this  board  of  supervisors  and  from  that 
time  until  the  present  the  business  interests 


38 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


have  been  conducted  and  controlled  l)y  a 
Ijoard  of  supervisors,  and  they  have  bail  the 
complete  control  of  the  finances  of  the 
county,  which  ha\e  at  all  times  been  man- 
;i^ed  with  reasonable  econoni}'. 

This  board  has  bad  charg-e  of  all  public 
buildings  and  improvements  of  every  kind 
and  character  and  assisted  in  the  building 
of  bridges  in  the  several  localities  of  the 
county,  so  that  it  may  1>e  said  that  the  pub- 
lic improvements  and  bridges  over  the  larger 
streams  of  the  county  are  in  a  reasonably 
good  condition,  and  the  county  has  not  at 
any  time  had  a  heavy  indebtedness  imposed 
upon  it.  The  people  have  at  no  time  suf- 
fered because  of  taxation  for  county  pur- 
poses, and  to-day  no  indebtedness  exists 
against  the  county,  and  all  public  improve- 
ments have  been  made  at  such  times  and 
under  such  circumstances  as  not  to  burden 
the  people  with  heavy  taxation. 

Finances  of  the  County. 

It  is  1)ut  natural,  and  we  presume  com- 
mon, that  the  finances  of  all  counties  at  their 
organization  are  meager  and  require  the 
most  rigid  economy  to  carry  ou  the  county 
g-overnment.  In  the  year  1839  H.  M.  Van- 
deveer,  who  was  then  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
Court,  was  by  the  County  Commissioners' 
Court  authori^^ed  to  purchase  such  records 
as  were  necessary  for  the  recording  in  the 
several  departments:  the  bill  rendered  by 
him  showed  that  he  purchased  supplies  for 
the  Recorder's  office  to  the  amount  of 
$24.37:  Circuit  Clerk's  office.  $82:  County 
Clerk's  office,  $93.25 :  School  Commission- 
er's office,  $8.87:  jury  lKH:)k,  $1.25,  and 
county  seal.  $12,  making  a  total  of  $221.74. 
The  bill  rendered  by  him  shows  the  rigid 
economy  exercised  lx)th  by  him  and  those 
with  whom  he  was  associated  in  the  pur- 
chasing of   equipments   for  the  several  of- 


fices. It  is  said  by  Dr.  Coudy  "that  the 
clerks  used  a  wooden  bench  with  a  screw 
fixed  in  a  fr.'une  for  more  than  twenty  years 
to  take  impressions  of  the  official  seal.  It 
cost  $2.50.  This  economical  outfit  lasted 
for  sex'cral  vears." 


* 


* 


"The  cf)urt  appropriated  at  the  rate  of  $4 
])er  month  to  pay  rent  for  the  use  of  the 
Circuit  and  Count}'  Clerks.  The  Ralston 
building  was  the  first  one  in  Taylorville  used 
for  that  purjjose  after  its  location  as  the 
county  seat.  It  was  moved  from  Edin- 
burg." 

The  writer,  in  a  conxersation  with  \V.  A. 
Goodrich,  one  of  the  early  settlers  who  came 
to  this  county  in  1840  and  resided  at  Mt 
Aul^urn,  learned  that  the  county  was  not 
only  economical  with  reference  to  the  pur- 
chasing of  records  and  the  payment  of  sala- 
ries, but  Goodrich  says  the  county  actually 
had  nothing",  not  even  a  hitching  post,  near 
the  old  court-house:  that  he  came  here  in 
1840  to  have  a  deed  recorded,  and  not  find- 
ing a  ]iost.  fence  or  tree  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  courthouse,  was  compelled  to  tie  his 
horse  to  the  door  latch  while  he  went  up  to 
have  a  deed  recorded,  and  says  that  is  the 
first  tin^e  he  met  H.  M.  Vandeveer,  who  was 
then  recorder,  both  of  wh(^m  afterwards  be- 
came life-long  friends  and  prosperous  citi- 
zens of  the  county. 

The  necessity  of  this  economy  was  well 
understood  by  the  officers  in  charge  of  the 
finances  of  the  county.  .At  the  June  term, 
1839.  ^^  ^^^^  Commissioners'  Court,  they 
levied  a  tax  of  70  cents  on  the  $100  of  all 
the  real  and  personal  jiroperty  of  the 
County  of  Dane. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  title 
to  much  of  the  lands,  in  the  county  at  that 
time,   was  in  the  government,  and  not  yet 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


89 


subject  to  taxation,  which  made  the  real 
taxable  property  of  the  county  very  small. 
The  valuation  for  taxation  of  that  year  was 
$108,630,  uiwn  which  the  70  cents  was  lev- 
ied and  broug-ht  a  total  revenue  of  $760.41. 
This  is  but  a  mere  pittance  when  compared 
with  the  taxable  property  and  revenue  of 
the  county  at  the  present  day. 

An  examination  of  the  record  discloses 
that  the  total  valuation  of  the  property  of 
the  county  for  the  year  1903  was  39^57 !»' 
875  dollars;  the  assessed  valuation,  7,914'- 
375  dollars,  and  the  total  taxes  raised  by 
this  assessment  were  351.587.28  dollars. 
By  contrasting-  these  figures  with  those  of 
the  assessment  of  1839,  we  appreciate,  to 
some  extent,  the  vast  improvement  that  has 
taken  place  in  the  county  since  its  organiza- 
tion. It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  such 
lands  as  were  taxable  and  the  best  lands  of 
the  county  in  tliat  day  were  worth  only  from 
$1.25  to  $5  per  acre.  The  same  lands  are 
now  worth  from  $100  to  $125  per  acre. 

The  scanty  revenue  made  it  impossible  to 
construct  therefrom  a  courthouse  and  other 
public  buildings,  and  the  policy  of  requiring 
the  proprietors  of  the  county  seat  to  contrib- 
ute $3,000  to  the  funds  of  the  county  to 
assist  in  Iniilding  a  courthouse  was  a  wise 
one,  as  was  r.ecphred  when  the  county  seat 
was  located  at  Taylorville. 

At  the  June  term,  1839,  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court,  an  order  was  made 
to  build  the  first  courthouse  at  Taylorville, 
in  the  following  language:  "Ordered,  that 
the  courthouse  be  let  out  to  the  lowest  bid- 
der, the  undertaker  giving  bond  with  ap- 
proved security;  description  of  the  court- 
house to  be  36x30  ft.  X2I  ft.  high,  and  to  be 
fenced  in  a  workmanlike  manner."  At  the 
August  term,  1839,  of  said  court,  the 
County  Treasurer  was  authorized  to  collect 
from  the  proprietors  of  Taylorville  $1,000, 


to  he  used  in  the  building  of  the  court- 
house; this  courthouse  was  completed  in 
September,  1840,  at  a  cost  of  $2,350,  l)ut 
the  proprietors  of  Taylorville  failed  to  pay 
the  money,  according  to  contract. 

At  the  March  term,  1840,  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court,  they  ordered  the 
Treasurer  to  demand  immediate  payment  of 
Eastham,  Taylor,  Allen  and  Barrett  of  the 
moneys  they  had  agreed  to  pay,  and  if  not 
paid  to  sue  the  said  proprietors  for  the 
same.  Suit  was  brought  and  a  committee, 
consisting-  of  H.  M.  Vandeveer,  T.  P.  Boud 
and  Jesse  Langley,  was  appointed  by  the 
commissioners  to  settle  the  suit  and  accept 
in  payment  thereof  Taylorville  real  estate. 
The  suit  was  finally  compromised  by  the 
1)roprietors  of  Taylorville  deeding  to  Chris- 
tian county  78  lots,  including  the  public 
square  in  the  Village  of  Taylorville,  "or  j4 
of  the  present  town  of  Taylorville,"  all  of 
which,  except  the  public  square,  were  after- 
wards sold,  by  order  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners, and  the  money  paid  into  the 
treasury. 

While  the  courthouse  that  had  just  been 
completed  was  not  a  costly  structure  nor  of 
great  proportions,  it  was  all  that  was  needed 
by  the  citizens  of  the  county  at  that  time. 
It  answered  their  purposes;  furnished  of- 
fices for  the  county  officers  and  a  courtroom 
commensurate  with  the  wants  of  the  people; 
was  hailed  by  the  inhal)itants  of  the  county 
with  probably  as  much  delight  and  satisfac- 
tion as  the  new  courthouse  that  was  com- 
pleted at  Taylorville  in  the  year  1902.  The 
offices  and  court  up  to  this  time  had  appar- 
ently been  of  a  transitory  character  and  lo- 
cated wherever  couvenient,  but  now  they 
were  all  gathered  under  one  roof  and  the 
people  appreciated  the  benefits  that  accrued 
from  having  the  officers  of  the  county  as- 
sembled at  one  place,  and  a  courtroom  that 


40 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


was  snfficientl)-  lai\s:e  to  accommodate  the 
few  trials  tliat  were  then  instituted  in  our 
courts.  The  offices  were  on  tlie  second  floor 
and  courtroom  on  the  first. 

County  Jail. 

On  April  4.  1846,  the  cnmmissioners  di- 
rected that  a  contract  be  made  on  Monday. 
the  first  day  of  June  next,  to  erect  a  jail  of 
the  length  of  20  feet,  the  width  of  16  feet 
and  two  stories  high,  with  two  rooms  on  the 
first  floor  and  one  on  the  second,  the  lower 
walls  to  be  made  of  hewn  timbers  10  inches 
thick  and  to  be  constructed  l)y  building  two 
walls  8  inches  apart  and  the  space  betw-een 
the  walls  filled  with  timbers  8  inches  thick 
set  on  end :  to  be  built  of  white  or  burr  oak 
with  two  doors  to  the  lower  story  and  one  to 
the  upper;  all  to  be  placed  upon  a  stone 
foundation.  There  was  to  be  one  window 
in  each  rcwm  in  the  first  floor  12x18  inches 
with  iron  grates,  two  windows  in  the  sec- 
ond story,  24x30  inches,  with  iron  grates; 
the  shutters  were  to  be  of  the  thickness  of 
three  one-inch  |)lank  lined  on  the  inside  with 
sheet  iron. 

The  contract  for  the  building  of  this  jail 
was  awarded  to  James  C.  Morrison  about 
June  2,  1846.  for  the  performance  of  which 
he  executed  a  bond,  and  while  the  records 
are  silent  as  to  the  price  to  be  paid  for  this 
jail,  orders  were  drawn  payable  to  J.  C. 
Morrison  upon  the  contract  to  the  amount 
of  $394.80;  this  jail  was  erected  near  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  square  and  located 
probably  on  the  back  of  the  lot  now  occupied 
l)y  Ahlman's  meat  shop.  This  Avould  not  be 
a  very  safe  place  for  the  incarceration  of 
criminals  at  the  present  daw  but  in  those 
days  the  criminals  did  not  have  the  many 
inventions  and  contrivances  of  escape  that 
they  do  now.  and  this  was  reasonably  safe 
for   the  prisoners   of   that   day.      I   am    in- 


formed, however,  that  a  negro  who  had  es- 
caped from  his  master  in  one  of  the  South- 
eni  states  was  incarcerated  in  this  jail  and 
held  for  some  time,  but  made  his  escape, 
luckily  for  him,  the  day  before  his  master 
arrived. 

Prior  to  the  construction  of  this  jail  the 
prisoners  of  Christian  county  were  confined 
in  the  jail  at  Springfield,  as  the  records  dis- 
close that  bills  were  paid  by  the  county  com- 
missioners of  this  county  to  Saiigamon 
county  for  the  food  and  care  of  prisoners. 

The  next  building  erected  by  the  county 
was  a  courthouse,  being  the  second  one  built 
by  the  county.  The  records  are  not  entirely 
clear  as  to  the  date  at  which  the  contract  for 
this  building  was  made.  Some  confusion 
ofro'ws  out  of  the  fact  that  a  contract  was 
first  made  with  Squire  &  Overholt  for  its 
erection,  wdiich  for  some  reason  was  not 
carried  out,  and  afterwards  a  contract  was 
made  with  Dennis  &  Ream  of  Springfield, 
111.,  to  complete  the  building  of  the  court- 
house at  a  cost  of  $13,526;  under  this  con- 
tract the  courthouse  was  completed  in  the 
year  1856.  This  courthouse,  when  com- 
pleted, consisted  of  an  oflice  for  the  Circuit 
Clerk  and  Recorder,  and  a  County  Clerk's 
ofiice.  Afterwards  vaults  were  added  to 
each  of  these  offices,  and  were  sup])osed  to 
be  fire-proof.  On  the  other  side  of  the  Imild- 
insf  on  the  lower  floor  were  three  rooms  set 
apart,  one  for  the  Treasurer,  one  for  the 
Sheriff,  and  one  for  the  County  Judge  and 
for  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools. 
There  was  a  large  hallway  of  the  width  of 
about  10  feet,  running  north  and  south  the 
entire  length  of  the  building  and  separating 
the  Clerk's  offices  from  the  other  offices; 
there  was  an  upper  story  consisting  of  the 
Circuit  Court  room,  a  small  room  for  the 
jury,  which  was  afterward  converted  into 
an  office  for  the  Circuit  Judge;  also  a  grand 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


41 


jury    room;    the    grand    jury    and    Circuit 
Judge's  rooms  were  used,  when  not  other- 
wise occupied,  by  the  petit  juries  in  consid- 
ering  the  cases   sulimitted   to  them.     This 
building  served  the  purposes  of  the  county 
until  the  year  looi,  when  it  was  sold  to  Mr. 
L.  D.  Hewitt  and  removed.      This  was  the 
courthouse  in  which  much  of  .the  important 
litieation  oi  the  inhabitants  of  the  county 
was  conducted;  it  was  the  scene  of  many  a 
forensic  battle;  was  the  room  in  which  many 
O'f   the  present   members  of   the   bar   made 
their  maiden  effort ;  many  were  the  trials  of 
criminal  cases  in  which  the  pAiblic  were  in- 
tensely interested  upon  (Mie  side  or  the  other, 
and  often  did  litigants  assemble  in  this  room 
with  a   host  of  friends  arrayed  upon  each 
side,  a  feeling  of  bitterness  of  sufficient  in- 
tensity  existing  to  precipitate  a   battle  be- 
tween these  friends  had  there  not  1>een  some 
way  of  giving  vent  to  the  pent-up  feelings 
of   the   contestants,    but    in    the   courtroom, 
before  the  court  and  jury,  their  rights  and 
interests  were  submitted,   passed  upon  and 
determined,  and  although  in  some  cases  jus- 
tice   may    have    miscarried,    yet    upon    the 
whole,  it  can  be  well  said  that  justice  was 
reasonably  well   meted  out.  and  IkuI  it  not 
been  for  the  courtroom  and  cool  headed  ad- 
vocates employed  upon  each  side  to  repre- 
sent the  interests  of  their  respective  clients 
and  allay  the  intensity  of  the  feeling  that 
existed,  many  of  these  contests  would  have 
resulted   in   bloodshed,   and  by  this  means, 
the  spilling  of  blood  was  averted  and  satis- 
faction given  that  was   far  above  any  that 
could  have  been  realized  by  a  hand  to  hand 
combat  or  settlement  of  the  affray  by  battle. 
The  liberties  and  rights  of  many  a  poor, 
downtrodden     and     oppressed     man      and 
woman  have  been  here  preserved  to  them ; 
the  court,  jury  and  bar  have  here  stood  like 
an  impenetrable  wall,   protecting  many   in- 


nocent  victims   from  the  ravages  of  an  in- 
fiu'iated  populace,   from   the  frauds  of  the 
sharp,   unscrupulous  villain,   from  the  con- 
spiracies of  the  wicked,  from  the  greed  of 
the  shylock,  from  the  unfortunate  position 
brought  about  by  accident  or  ignorance,  and 
while  it  is  the  pride  of  many  that  they  have 
been  al)le  to  spend   a   life   without  having 
been  engaged  in  a  law-suit,  and  many  dread 
a  contest  in  court,  yet  it  is  equally  true  that 
the  courtroom   is  the  asylum  to  which  we 
all  rush  for  safety  in  the  hours  of  greatest 
peril,  selecting  the  lawyer  for  our  guide  and 
the  judge  our  arbiter.     If  there  is  one  thing 
that  the  people  of  any  county  should  remem- 
ber above  all   others,   it  is   that  the  courts 
finally  determine  and  settle  all  of  their  dif- 
ferences, and  that  each  man  owes  to  every 
other  an  obligation  to  perform  his  duties  as 
juror,  when  selected,  or  in  any  way,  when 
called  upon  to  aid  the  courts  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice,  without  flinching,  without 
seeking  to  be  excused  because  of  some  triv- 
ial matter,  wdthout  shirking  the  duties  that 
the  laws  have  enjoined  upon  him  as  a  good 
citizen. 

Every  citizen  should  remember  that  when 
he  himself  is  in  peril,  his  greatest  desire  is 
that  his  rights  be  determined  by  an  upright 
judge,  a  just  jury  and  a  conscientious  ad- 
vocate. 

These  ciualities  are  best  preserved  by  an 
unflinching  adherence  of  every  citizen  to  the 
duties  enjoined  upon  him  by  law. 

The  old  courthouse  is  gone,  but  to  the 
bar,  many  are  the  pleasant  memories  that 
cling  around  the  scenes  that  transpired  in 
that  old  courtroom,  and  while  it  has  given 
way  to  a  better  and  more  pretentious  build- 
iup-  and  courtroom,  this  will  not,  in  all 
proliability,  be  the  scene  of  greater  contests 
or  produce  brighter  or  more  pleasant  memo- 
ries than  the  one  that  has  passed  away. 


42 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


While  Christian  county  has  made  such 
improvements  and  constructed  such  build- 
ings as  were  necessary  and  convenient  for 
the  business  interests  of  the  county,  it  has 
not  been  unmindful  of  the  poor;  in  1870,  a 
poor  farm  of  160  acres  was  purchased  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  town  of  Rosemond, 
for  which  the  county  paid  $6,400.  and  lo- 
cated thereon  a  building  at  a  cost  of  $3,534> 
which  was  burned  in  1892,  and  a  new  one 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $4,500.  A  keeper  is  in 
charge  of  this  poor  farm  and  raises  grain 
and  other  products  thereon,  and  raises  meat 
and  vegetables  to  supply  the  inmates  of  the 
lxK)r  farm,  and  it  is  said  that  those  who  are 
so  unfortunate  as  to  become  inmates  of  this 
house  are  well  cared  for. 

During  the  same  year  (1870)  the  county 
erected  the  present  jail  at  a  cost  of  $5,360, 
which  took  the  place  of  the  old  one  above 
described,  and  has  since  that  time  made 
quite  a  valuable  addition  thereto,  practically 
doubling  the  capacity  of  the  jail  and  making 
it  more  convenient ;  has  improved  its  sani- 
tary conditions;  it  is  now  a  safe  and  whole- 
some place  for  the  unfortunate  ones  who  are 
incarcerated  therein,  and  since  the  erection 
of  the  new  jail  the  Sheriff  or  keeper  thereof 
has  constantly  resided  in  rooms  connected 
with  it,  and  under  the  same  roof.  The  jail 
is  at  ])resent  occupied  by  T.  W.  Brents,  the 
present  Sheriff  of  the  county. 

For  several  years  prior  to  1900,  it  be- 
came evident  to  all  thinking  people  that  the 
old  courthouse  was  not  sufficient  to  accom- 
modate the  courts  of  the  county,  preserve 
the  records  and  files  of  the  different  offices 
and  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people,  and 
that  the  time  had  come  when  a  new  court- 
house should  be  built.  The  question  was 
agitated,  at  least  two  or  three  years,  before 
it  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  and 
while   it   had   nianv    advocates,    there   were 


(|uite  a  few  who  opposed  the  building  of  the 
courthouse,  hecause  they  feared  that  it 
would  burden  the  county  with  an  indebted- 
ness that  it  could  not  easily  rid  itself  of;  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  had  no  money  with 
which  to  build  the  courthouse,  and  they 
were  powerless  to  levy  a  greater  tax  than 
was  ])eing  levied  for  general  purposes,  ex- 
cept by  a  vote  of  the  people.  It  therefore 
1>ecame  necessary  to  submit  to  the  voters  of 
Christian  county  the  question  of  authoriz- 
ing the  levy  of  a  sufficient  tax  for  this  pur- 
pose. Accordingly  A.  S.  Martin,  Super- 
visor of  the  Town  of  Taylorville,  introduced 
a  resolution  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  au- 
thorizing the  levy  of  a  courthouse  tax  to 
the  amount  of  $100,000,  to  be  used  in  build- 
ino-  a  new  courthouse.  This  resolution  was 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  13  to  5  of  the  super- 
visors, but  was,  at  the  March  meeting,  1900, 
reconsidered  and  rescinded  l>y  a  vote  of  12 
to  5.  However,  at  the  June  meeting,  1900, 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  a  resolution  to 
authorize  the  submission  to  a  vote  the  levy- 
ing of  a  special  tax  of  $75,000  for  court- 
house purposes,  v/as  introduced  by  the  com- 
mittee on  public  buildings  and  adopted  by 
the  vote  of  the  following  named  super- 
visors :  G.  W.  Adams,  G.  F.  Barrett,  T.  T. 
Berry,  J.  E.  Downs,  O.  B.  Fraley,  R.  A. 
Gray,  H.  H.  Herdman,  A.  S.  Martin,  H. 
O.  Minnis,  J.  H.  Morgan,  F.  F.  Weiser,  W. 
O.  Wilcox  and  Joseph  Hale,  and  this  propo- 
sition v^as  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people 
at  the  November  election  in  1900,  and  car- 
ried by  a  majority  of  990  in  a  vote  of  7,408 ; 
10  townships  gave  a  majority  for  the  proix>- 
sition,  one  had  a  tie  vote  and  this  gave  a 
majority  against  the  proiX)sition;  a  major- 
ity of  the  votes  of  the  county  being  in  favor 
of  the  appropriation,  the  old  courthouse 
was  sold  and  immediate  ste])S  taken  for  its 
removal. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


43 


The    board    immediately    advertised    for 
plans  and  specifications  for  the  new  court- 
house, many  of  which  were  submitted,  but 
the  plans  of  J.  W.  Gaddis,  an  architect  of 
Terre    Haute,    Ind.,    were    adopted    by    the 
building-  committee  in  February,   1901,  and 
a  contract  for  the  Ixiilding  of  the  new  court- 
house was  macfe  upon  the  recommendation 
of  the  building  committee  by  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  with  V.  Jobst  &  Sons  of  Peo- 
ria, 111.,  on  June  3,  190 t,  for  the  amount  of 
$80,000.    Owing  to  the  increase  in  the  price 
of  building  materials,   it   soon  became  evi- 
dent to  the  committee  and  members  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  that  the  amount  au- 
thorized to  be  levied  would  not  be  sufficient 
to  build  such  a  courthouse  as  was  needed, 
and   the   supervisors,   after   having   respect- 
ively canvassed  the  matter  with  their  con- 
stituents, determined  that  the  appropriation 
would  when   desired  be   increased,   and  ac- 
cordingly laid  its  plans  for  the  construction 
of    a    courthouse    with    the    furniture    that 
would  cost  about  $100,000.     The  building 
was  constructed  as  speedily  as  possible  and 
completed  Sept.  29,  1902,  at  a  total  cost  of 
building     and     furniture     of     $100,535.80. 
While  the  building  was  being  built  a  vote 
for    a    future    appropriation    was    had    and 
adopted,  and  by  the  time  the  building  was 
completed,   the  taxes  had   been   levied   and 
collected.     When  the  courthouse  was  dedi- 
cated, it  was  fully  paid  for.     The  construc- 
tion of  the  courthouse  was  under  the  im- 
mediate  supervision    of   the   building   com- 
mittee,   which    during   the    first    year    was 
composed   of   the   following  named    gentle- 
men :      Robert   A.    Gray,    chairman ;  J.    H. 
Morgan,  A.   S.   Martin,  A.  B.   Fraley  and 
P.    M.    Klinefelter,   but   owing  to  the  fact 
that  during  this  time,  an  election  was  held 
to  fill  the  places  of  the  Supervisors  whose 
term  of  office  expired,   some  of  them  were 


not  candidates  for  reelection,  and  a  new 
committee  was  composed  of  A.  S.  Martin, 
chairman;  G.  W.  Adams,  John  Kennedy,  O. 
B.  Fraley  and  C.  D.  Cutler.  It  can  be  said 
to  the  credit  oi  both  of  tlie  committees, 
they  carefully  watched  over  the  work  as  it 
progressed,  investigating  every  detail  and  it 
may  be  well  said  that  every  dollar  of  the 
money  appropriated  by  the  people  for  the 
building  of  this  court  house,  actually  went 
into  its  construction,  and  as  a  result  the 
money  expended  has  produced  a  building 
that  is  a  credit  to  the  county  and  is  estimat- 
ed by  many  people  to  cost  much  more  than 
it  really  did. 

The  corner  stone  of  this  building  was  laid 
with  the  usual  formalities  of  the  Masonic 
craft,  the  Grand  Master  C.  F.  Hitchcock 
of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Illinois  being  present 
and  participating  in  its  exercises.  The  little 
box  placed  in  the  corner  stone  was  filled  with 
a  short  history  of  Christian  county,  pre- 
pared by  the  Committee,  together  with  a 
copy  of  practically  all  of  the  papers  pub- 
lished in  the  county,  and  a  history  of  many 
of  the  churches,  secret  orders,  building  as- 
sociation and  many  other  enterprises  in 
which  the  people  were  interested,  and  this 
box  was  placed  in  the  northeast  corner  and 
sealed  by  the  Grand  Master  who  pronounced 
the  work  to^  be  "good  work,  true  work  and 
square  work"  and  thereupon  addresses  were 
made  by  the  Hon.  James  B.  Ricks,  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  Hon.  Wm.  T.  Van- 
deveer,  the  Hon.  W.  M.  Provine,  all  resi- 
dents of  Taylorville.  The  occasion  was  a 
memorable  one,  and  the  addresses  were  ex- 
cellent, and  well  adapted  to  the  occasion. 

After  the  court  house  had  been  completed, 
it  was  duly  and  formally  accepted  by  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  the  Hon.  R.  W.  Mor- 
rison presiding,  and  dedicated  on  the  day 
of  its  acceptance. 


44 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


The  dedicatory  exercises  consisted  of  the 
usual  and  necessary  action  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  music,  and  of  adch^esses  made 
by  the  Hon.  I.  \V.  Kitchell  of  l^ana  and 
J.  C.  McBride,  of  Taylorville,  and  closed 
by  the  address  of  U.  \\\  Morrison,  Chair- 
man of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

The  writer  of  this  article,  J.  C.  McBride, 
desires  to  record  the  fact  that  lie  made  the 
last  address  in  the  oKl  c(  urt  house  rnid  the 
first  one  in  the  new. 

Christian  county  now  has  a  beautiful  and 
commodious  courthouse  of  the  length  of 
I  17  feet  and  of  the  width  of  90  feet,  three 
stories  hioh  with  a  room  for  the  Board 
of  Supervisors.  Count}-  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  State's  Attorney  and  a  rest  room 
for  the  ladies  of  the  count}'  oii  the  lower 
flexor;  rooms  for  the  County  Judge,  County 
Clerk,  Sheriff,  Treasurer,  and  Circuit  Clerk 
on  the  second  floor  with  a  private  office  for 
each  of  the  officers  all  nicely  furnished  with 
the  l)est  steel  furniture;  on  the  third  Acmm" 
is  the  Circuit  Court  room.  Judge's  room, 
room  for  the  attorneys,  library,  grand  jury 
room,  two  petit  jury  rooms,  two^  witness 
rooms  and  other  rooms  not  now  needed  or 
used ;  all  of  these  rooms  are  supplied  with 
the  modern  conveniences;  it  is  remarked  by 
man}-  that  the  courtroom  is  of  convenient 
size,  and  beautiful  in  appearance;  in  fact 
the  whole  courthouse  frf)m  top  to  bottom 
is  a  credit  to  the  county,  and  reflects  honor 
upon  its  builders. 

This  courthouse  would  appear  to  a  casual 
observer  to  meet  the  conveniences  and  re- 
quirements of  this  county  for  100  years  to 
come,  but  who  can  tell ;  measured  b}-  the 
progress  of  the  past,  the  ingenuity  of  man, 
its  wealth  producing  capacitv,  it  may  not 
supply  tlie  wants  for  a  half  century,  but 
one  thing  is  certain,  it  will  meet  the  require- 
ments for  manv  vears  to  come. 


.     Justices  Districts. 

The  County  Commissioners'  Court  at  the 
June  term,  1839,  divided  the  county  into 
four  districts  called  by  them  justices  dis- 
tricts, and  an  election  for  selecting  Justices 
of  the  Peace  and  Constables  of  the  respec- 
tive districts  was  called  for  August  5,  1839. 
For  the  first  district  Thomas  Young,  Jesse 
Murphy  and  Isaac  Harris  were  appointed 
Judges  ;  for  the  second  district  Thomas  And- 
erson, Robert  Richardson  and  Francis 
Adams  were  ap])ointed  Judges:  for  the  third 
district  James  Fletcher,  Geo.  Fearson  and 
Geo.  Dickerson  were  appointed  Judges,  and 
for  the  fourth  district  Elija  Palmer  and 
Peter  Ketchum  were  appointed  Judges. 
These  districts  were  known  as  the  Taylor- 
ville or  Central  District,  Stonington  District, 
North  Fork  District  and  South  Fork  Dis- 
trict, and  there  were  to  be  elected  two  Jus- 
tices and  two  Constables  in  each  of  the 
districts,  except  the  Taylorville  or  Central. 
which  was  to  have  three;  the  election  was 
held  at  that  time  and  at  the  respective  vot- 
ing places  in  the  different  districts,  and  for 
the  Taylorville  District  W.  yi.  Thomas,  Eli 
Matthews  and  Richard  Simpson  were  elect- 
ed as  Justices  and  James  R.  Lucas  and 
John  P.  Nelson  as  Constables;  for  the  Ston- 
ington District  Peter  R.  Ketchum  and  David 
Simons  were  elected  as  Justices  and  Wm.  L. 
Hammer  Constable;  for  the  North  Fork 
District  A.  D.  Northcut  and  James  Baker 
were  elected  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  J. 
M.  Fletcher  and  1'.  ¥.  Farris  Constables; 
for  the  South  Fork,  Presley  Peck  and  Aquil- 
la  Council  were  elected  Justices  and  Amos 
Richardson  and  J.  L.  Cagle  were  elected 
Constables. 

It  appears  from  the  records  that  J.  I.  Vol- 
lentine  and  Samuel  Brents  were  also  elected 
as  con.stables  at  this  election,  but  it  is  un- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


45 


certain  from  which  ch'strict.  The  highest 
vote  received  Iw  any  of  those  elected  was 
55  and  the  lowest  23,  and  the  highest  vote 
received  by  any  of  those  defeated  was  23 
and  the  lowest  12,  and  while  it  is  difficult 
to  determine  the  exact  number  of  voters, 
'owing  to  the  absence  of  the  poll  book,  it  is 
estimated  that  there  were  about  200  votes 
cast  at  this  election  in  these  four  precincts, 
which  shows  the  voting  population  of  the 
coimty  at  that  lime;  the  voting  was  not  l>y 
ballot  as  at  the  present  time,  but  by  viva 
voce,  which  vote  when  given  was  recorded. 
At  the  election  succeeding  this  one  and  held 
August  3,  1840,  the  highest  vote  being  for 
State  Senator,  shows  E.  D.  Taylor,  Demo- 
crat, to  have  received  208  votes  and  E.  D. 
Baker,  Whig,  to  have  received  1 1 1  votes, 
making  a  total  of  319  votes. 

At  the  presidential  election  in  November, 
1840,  Martin  Van  Buren  received  147  votes 
and  Wm.  H.  Harrison  89  votes,  making  the 
total  number  of  votes  cast  at  this  election 
236.  At  that  time,  however,  the  local  of- 
ficers were  elected  at  the  August  elections, 
and  not  in  November. 

The  above  is  a  sufficient  amount  of  the 
statistics  of  the  elections  held  at  about  these 
times  to  show  the  number  of  electors  in  the 
county.  The  first  Representative  elected 
from  this  county  was  Martin  White,  and  at 
the  same  election,  Aquilla  Council  was  elect- 
ed County  Commissioner,  Wm.  S.  Ricks, 
Sheriff ;  Jacob  Lovely,  Coroner ;  John  C. 
Goode,  Clerk  of  County  Commissioners' 
Court,  and  Gabriel  Jernigan,  Treasurer,  all 
Democrats,  and  at  the  election  held  August 
2,  1841,  Overton  Williams  and  Richard 
Simpson  appear  to  have  been  elected  for 
County  Commissioners  and  Leonard  Kil- 
burn  for  Treasurer  (to  fill  a  vacancy)  and 
John  W.  Wheat  for  School  Commissioner. 

At  the  August  election  in   1842,   H.  M. 


Vandeveer  was  elected  Representative, 
Amos  Richardson,  Sheriff;  and  in  October 
of  the  same  year  A.  B.  Peabody  was  elected 
County  Surveyor  and  Thomas  Dougherty 
County  Recorder,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  resignation  of  LI.  M.  V^andeveer,  who 
had  just  been  elected  to  the  legislature,  and 
at  the  election  held  August  7,  1843,  W.  S. 
Erink  was  elected  Probate  Justice,  P.  C. 
Eerguson,  County  Clerk ;  Thomas  B.  Dough- 
erty, County  Recorder;  Jesse  Elgan,  Coun- 
ty Commissioner;  Wm.  A.  Goodrich,  County 
Surveyor,  Thomas  S.  Leachman,  •  School 
Commissioner,  and  Jesse  Murphy  Assessor 
and  Treasurer;  at  the  election  held  in  Aug- 
ust, 1844,  Wm.  S.  Ricks  was  elected  as  Rep- 
resentative from  this  county.  The  total 
votes  cast  at  that  election  were  431  ;  at  the 
same  election,  Henry  Hardin  was  elected 
Sheriff;  Geo.  Dickerson,  Jesse  Elgan  and 
John  H.  Bilyeu,  County  Commissioners ;  G. 
B.  Ketcham,  Coroner,  and  O.  B.  Eicklin, 
Democrat,  received  a  majority  of  70  votes 
over  U.  E.  Linder,  Whig,  as  a  candidate  for 
Congress. 

A  review  of  the  officers  elected  as  above, 
and  the  votes  which  they  received  at  the 
different  elections  will  give  to  the  reader 
a  fair  idea  of  the  men  who  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  county,  with  its  early 
counselors,  and  carried  the  burden  of  the 
b/eginning  of  a  wild  and  practically  unset- 
tled county. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  the  offices  held  by 
the  different  men  were  anything  but  lucra- 
tive; in  many  instances  it  required  a  great 
sacrifice  upon  the  part  of  the  individuals  to 
fill  the  offices  of  the  county,  but  some  one 
had  to  perform  these  duties,  and  no  one 
was  better  qualified  or  more  interested  in 
having  the  duty  faithfully  performed  than 
these  men  who  were  striving  to  build  up  a 


46 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


conntv   s:^ovcrnniciit    in   the   wild   i)rairie.s  of 
Christian. 

Tn  many  instances  tlic  record  (hscloscs 
that  the  officers  remitted  tlie  small  pittances 
allowed  them  by  law  for  the  services  per- 
formed for  the  j)nrpose  of  aiding  the  connty. 

Circuit  Court. 

In  the  year  1839,  the  counties  of  Sanga- 
mon, Tazewell,  McLean,  Livingston,  Macon, 
Dane,  Logan,  and  Menard  comiwsed  the 
Eighth  Judicial  District  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, with  the  lion.  Sam'l  H.  Treat,  presid- 
ing Judge;  he  held  the  first  term  of  court 
at  Taylorville  on  November  4,  1839,  in  a 
small  frame  house  12x14  owned  by  H.  M. 
X'andeveer,  and  situated  on  the  north  side 
of  the  public  scjuare,  and  it  is  said  that  this 
small  house  had  to  serve  the  ])urpose  of 
hotel,  stage  office  and  courtroom;  from  the 
representations  of  the  oldest  citizens,  it  is 
clear  that  houses  were  very  scarce  in  Tay- 
lorville at  th.at  time.  It  is  said  in  jury  cases, 
that  iMxly  had  to  retire  for  its  deliberations 
out  r)f  doors  under  a  black-jack  tree  where 
now  stands  the  calaboose,  accompanied  by 
Deputy  \\'.  I-.  Hammer,  who  provided  the 
jury  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  such 
refreshments  as  the  jury  desire  and  the  court 
will  permit. 

This  improvised  courtroom  will  be  re- 
membered by  many  of  the  older  citizens  as 
Dr.  Chapman's  office,  and  the  old  landmark 
has  given  place  to  a  large  brick  building. 
The  officers  of  the  court  were  the  Hon. 
Sam'l  H.  Treat,  Judge;  H.  M.  Vandeveer, 
Clerk;  Wm.  S.  Ricks,  Sheriff;  David  P. 
Campbell,  State's  Attorney;  Benjamin  Will- 
iams, Coroner, 

The  only  attorney  attending  this  term  of 
court  from  abroad  was  the  Hon.  James  C. 
Conkling  of  Springfield,  and  it  is  said  the 
panel  of  grand  and  petit  jurors  made  at  the 


first  term  of  the  County  Court  seemed  to 
be  based  upon  an  assumed  census  of  100 
jjcrsons,  that  is,  single  men  and  heads  of 
families;  these,  with  the  county  officials 
added,  comprised  nearly  all  the  names  in  the 
county,  excepting  only  some  half  dozen 
wdiom  it  was  the  intention  to  indict. 

The  first  grand  jury  was  composed  of 
John  Young,  foreman;  Berry  Rose,  Thomas 
r.  Bond,  Geo.  D.  Pearson,  John  Martin, 
David  Cagle,  James  Weeden,  Thos  Young, 
[vobert  Richardson,  John  Finley,  Jacob  Wy- 
dick,  E.  J.  Leigh,  A.  B.  Peabody,  Christo- 
pher Ketcham,  Joshua  Brents,  Alfred  Curry 
and  Louis  Jernigan,  who,  after  being  duly 
sworn,  were  charged  by  State's  Attorney 
Campbell. 

This  grand  jury  retired,  and  after  sol- 
emnly deliberating,  returned  into  court  an 
indictment  against  Thomas  Farris,  indicting 
him  for  challenging  Thomas  VV.  Davis  to 
fight  a  duel  with  deadlv  weapons,  and  was 
based  upon  the  following  letter  written  by 
Farris  tO'  Davis ; 

"Dear  Sir: — I  take  this  method  of  finish- 
ing our  career.  I  will  give  you  the  chance 
of  a  dewel.  I  would  rather  fight  manley 
than  to  do  any  other  way.  I  will  give  you 
a  shott  at  12  o'clock  P.  M. 

"(Signed)    T.  V.  E.  Farris." 

He  was  required  to  give  bond,  and  at  the 
June  term,  1840,  of  said  court,  the  case  was 
again  continued  upon  the  affidavit  of  the 
defendant  until  the  October  term,  1840, 
when  the  case  was  tried  and  the  defendant 
found  not  guilty. 

There  was  also  found  at  that  term  of 
court  an  indictment  against  Samuel  McKin- 
sey  and  Gabriel  McKinsey,  charging  them 
with  riot,  who  were  tried  at  the  June  term, 
1840,  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  found  guilty, 
and  sentenced   to  pay  a  fine  of  $10  each; 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


47 


this  was  all  the  work  done  l)y  the  grand  jury 
at  that  term. 

As  appears  from  the  records  of  the  county 
there  was  no  petit  jury  empaneled  for  the 
November  term,  1S39;  the  first  petit  jury 
ever  empaneled  in  the  county  as  appears  by 
the  records  was  at  the  June  term,  1840, 
for  the  purpose  of  trying  the  case  of  the 
People  vs.  Samuel  and  Gabriel  McKinsey, 
indictment  for  riot,  and  this  jury  was  com- 
posed of  Geo.  Oiler,  Overt(jn  Williams, 
Simeon  Brents,  Wm.  Sheldon,  Ezekiel 
Young,  Robert  P.  Langley,  Wesley  West- 
brook,  Henry  Dixon,  Henry  Judy,  Wm. 
Wallace,  Isaac  Richardson  and  Wesley 
Blount. 

There  was  at  the  same  term  another  jury 
empaneled  and  tried  John  Gilliert  for  selling 
liquor  without  a  license,  but  the  jury  were 
unable  to  agree  and  were  discharged,  and 
these  were  all  of  the  jury  trials  at  that  term 
of  court. 

In  giving  some  of  the  reminiscences  of 
this  court.  Mr.  Goudy  says  of  some  of  the 
early  trials  of  the  court :  "Another  case  was 
Peter  R.  Ketcham  vs.  Gabriel  McKenzie,  ac- 
tion for  slander ;  damages  laid  at  $2,000.  J. 
C.  Conkling,  attorney  for  plaintiff.  In  the 
declaration,  it  was  alleged  that  the  defendant 
had  used  wortls  to  this  import :  "Old  Pete 
Ketcham  is  a  d — d  old  hog  thief."  This 
trial  seemed  to  involve  the  whole  county  and 
elicited  a  great  deal  of  interest.  It  was 
known  to  many  as  the  Methodist  preacher 
against  the  Roman  Catholic;  attorney  B.  S. 
Edwards  conducted  the  defense.  The  jury 
found  for  the  plaintiff  $47.08. 

In  making  up  their  verdict,  the  jury 
seem  to-  have  entertained  a  very  nice  esti- 
mate of  a  man's  character  so  as  to  take  into 
consideration  the  fractional  part  of  a  dime. 

Juries  occasionally  returned  to  the  court- 
rooir.    for    further    instructions    from    the 


Judge.  In  one  case,  the  jury  failing  to 
agree  as  to  the  facts  in  the  premises  re- 
turned for  instructions.  The  Judge  in- 
quired as  to  the  difficulty.  The  foreman  re- 
sponded with  apparent  honesty  and  simplici- 
ty :  "Why,  Judge,  this  'ere  is  the  difficulty : 
Some  of  the  jury  want  to^  know  whether 
that  ar  w4iat  you  told  us,  when  we  first  went 
out,  was  raley  the  law,  or  whether  it  was 
onlv  just  vour  notion."  The  ludge  havinef 
informed  the  jury  that  such  was  the  law  in 
the  premises,  a  verdict  was  reached  accord- 
ingly. 

In  these  days,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  frequent 
visitor  of  the  Christian  County  Court,  and 
was  at  one  time  associated  with  Judge  Van- 
deveer  upon  the  trial  of  an  important  case 
with  Judge  Robbins  of  Springfield  on  the 
other  side,  and  in  reply  to  a  point  made. 
Judge  Robbins  said,  "If  that  is  so,  I  will 
agree  to  eat  this  desk."  Mr.  Lincoln  very 
promptly  replied:     "Well,  Judge,  if  you  do 

eat  that   desk,   I   hope  it   will  come  out  a 
brand  new  manufactured  wagon." 

Mr.  W.  A.  Goodrich  infoims  the  writer 
that  the  convening  of  court  was  a  great 
holiday  with  the  people  at  that  time,  and 
everybody  was  anxious  to  attend  court;  it 
offered  an  opportunity  for  people  to  meet 
one  another  and  talk  of  the  many  hardships 
that  were  endured  by  them ;  he  says  that  on 
one  occasion,  probably  in  the  year  1841,  he 
came  from  Mt.  Auburn  to  Taylorville  to 
attend  court  and  to  his  utter  disgust  found 
the  one  lodging  place  in  the  town  fully  oc- 
cupied, but  a  friend  invited  him  tO'  go  out 
with  him  to  a  log  cabin  that  was  then  situ- 
ated near  where  the  Wabash  depot  is  now 
and  he  would  find  a  bed.  When  he  arrived 
there  he  found  a  bed  for  them  to  occupy; 
the  bedstead  was  made  by  boring  a  hole  in 
one  of  the  logs  that  formed  the  cabin,  put- 
ting one  end  of  a  pole  in  the  log  and  the 


48 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


other  resting  on  wooden  forks  standing  on 
the  floor,  and  the  remainder  of  the  hed  was 
made  u])  in  the  same  crnde  manner,  hnt  he 
assured  me  tliat  it  formed  a  good  restini^ 
place  for  a  man  who  had  traveled  from  Mt. 
Anhnrn  in  those  days,  and  that  he  enjoyed 
the  night's  sleep  very  much. 

It  is  said  that  hardly  had  the  last  peg 
lieen  driven  in  the  location  of  the  county 
seat  when  James  Harris  commenced  prep- 
arations for  the  erection  of  a  two-story 
frame  hotel,  formerly  known  as  a  part  of 
the  CAuhe  Hotel,  and  located  on  the  north 
side  of  the  puhlic  square.  The  want  of  ac- 
commodations compelled  the  use  of  it  at  first 
in  an  unfinished  condition;  a  ladder,  was 
used  to  reach  the  upper  story  with  its  loose 
boards  for  a  floor ;  its  accommodations  were 
necessarily  limited. 

The  landlord  was  under  the  necessity  of 
dividing  his  guests  into  scjuads  or  divisions, 
some  retiring  early  only  to  be  aroused  to 
give  place  to  another  division  as  time 
crowded  on  to  midnight.  About  the  latter 
hour,  the  stentorian  voice  of  the  landlord 
could  l)e  heard  calling  the  first  lot  to  get  up 
and  give  place  to  others:  "that  Judge  Treat 
and  other  noted  lawyers  wished  to  turn  in;" 
Judge  Edwards  of  Springfield  relates  that 
he  preferred  the  luxury  of  wrapping  him- 
self in  the  folds  of  his  coat  and  taking  the 
courthouse  floor  for  it,  where  he  could  have 
the  whole  night  to  himself.  In  the  early 
days  of  Christian  county,  and  before  Lin- 
coln, Douglas,  Davis  and  others  had  ac- 
quired the  notoriety  they  afterwards  en- 
joyed, they  were  often  seen  in  attendance 
at  the  court  of  Christian  county,  and  many 
and  amusing  are  the  anecdotes  that  the  early 
settlers  told  concerning  these  honorable  vis- 
itors. Of  course  evervthing  that  anv  of 
them  said  or  did  (and  many  things  that 
never   happened)    are   remembered    by    the 


early  settler  and  told  hy  him,  and  notwith- 
standing the  man}-  hardshi]:)s  endured,  he 
loves  to  recall  these  early  days,  and  with 
pleasure  recites  his  many  adventures.  There 
is  nothing  so  pleasant  to  mankind  as  the 
memory  of  times  and  events  in  which  he 
participated  that  tried  men's  souls. 

1die  writer  frequently  conversed  with 
Judge  H.  M.  Vandeveer  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  and  many  were  the  interesting 
and  ]:)rofitable  as  well  as  amusing  incidents 
that  he  could  tell  concerning  the  people  of 
the  early  day,  their  struggles,  and  concern- 
ing the  men  who  afterwards  became  so  noted. 
He,  too,  looked  upon  the  trials  and  tribula- 
tions of  the  early  day,  his  struggles  with 
poverty,  his  battling  against  inconveniences, 
as  being  happy  days,  and  those  which  he 
loved  to  recall,  which  he  did  with  credit  to 
himself  and  pleasure  to  the  listener. 

BENCH    AND    BAR. 

There  is  no  class  more  intimately  con- 
nected and  associated  with  the  public  events 
of  a  community  than  the  bench  and  bar. 

The  courts  are  the  final  arbiters  of  the 
disputes  that  arise  in  an}-  community.  Prop- 
erty rights,  rights  of  personal  liberty  and 
all  other  matters  over  which  a  contention 
exists  are  finally  determined  l)y  the  courts, 
and  these  courts  are  valuable  in  proportion 
to  the  legal  learning  and  integrity  of  the 
bench  and  bar  and  those  summoned  before 
this  tribunal  to  assist  in  the  administration 
of  justice. 

Inasmuch  as  the  liench  and  bar  sustains 
such  a  relation  tO'  the  public  events,  it  is 
proper  in  a  work  ni  this  character  to  give 
a  short  history  of  the  courts  and  of  the 
bar,  especially  of  the  niemhers  of  the  bar  that 
have  passed  away.  It  is  fitting  only  to  com- 
ment upon  the  records  and  events  of  the 
lives  of  the  deceased  members  of  the  bar 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


49 


and  bench,  leaving  the  events  of  those  now 
h'\'ing  and  the  work  that  may  have  Ijeen 
performed,  whether  good  or  bad,  to-  be 
judg'ed  by  the  people  and  recorded  by  an- 
other pen. 

In  times  of  pubhc  excitement  and  strife, 
the  Judge  upon  the  bencli,  and  the  advocate 
at  the  bar  are  the  people  to  whom  those 
connected  in  such  strifes  look  for  protection 
and  are  wdlling  to  confide  their  interests; 
the  sterling  qualities  c^f  the  Judge,  the  able 
and  earnest  advocate  always  have  and  always 
wm'11  be  admirefl  by  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity not  only  for  their  character  and  abil- 
ity, but  for  the  power  they  possess  of  aiding 
in  the  building  up  or  destruction  of  the 
rights  of  mankind,  and  for  that  reason,  it 
for  no  other,  they  are  entitled  to  have  their 
names  enrolled  upon  the  history  of  a  com- 
munity and  the  good  or  evil  that  was  per- 
formed by  them  in  their  lifetime  recorded. 

As  has  before  been  said,  at  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  county  Samuel  H.  Treat  was  the 
first  Circuit  Judge  and  presided  over  the 
term  of  court  held  at  Dane  county  on  Mon- 
day,  November  4,    1839. 

He  was  at  one  time  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  in  the  lat- 
ter years  of  his  life  filled  the  position  of 
Judge  of  the  Federal  Court  for  the  South- 
ern District  of  Illinois,  wdiich  position  he 
occupied  until  his  death,  and  was  always 
regarded  as  an  able,  honorable  and  upright 
Judge,  and  fair  to  litigants.  He  was  more 
closely  associated  with  the  people  of  Sanga- 
mon County  than  with  this  people.  At  the 
first  term  of  court  there  were  present  Hora- 
tio M.  Vandeveer,  Clerk;  Wm.  S.  Ricks, 
Sheriff;  David  B.  Campbell,  State's  Attor- 
ney; James  C.  Conkling,  an  attorney  at  law 
of  Springfield,  was  also  present.  At  that 
time  the  counties  of  Sangamon,  Tazewell, 
Woodford,    McLean,    Livingston,    DeWitt, 


Piatt,  Champaign,  Vermilion,  Edgar,  Moul- 
trie, Christian,  Logan  and  Menard  composed 
the  Eighth  Judicial  District. 

Judge  David  Davis,  of  Bloomington,  suc- 
ceeded Judge  Treat  and  presided  over  the 
courts  at  Taylorville  from  1849  to  1853, 
after  which  time  the  home  of  Judge  Davis, 
McLean  county,  was  eliminated  from  this 
circuit.  He  was  succeeded  as  Circuit  Judge 
by  Judge  Emerson ;  Judge  Emerson  was 
succeeded  by  Judge  E.  Y.  Rice.  He  in  turn 
was  succeeded  by  Judge  H.  M.  Vandeveer. 
\n  1877  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  es- 
tablishing Appellate  Courts  in  each  circuit 
and  providing  for  the  election  of  three 
Judges  for  each  circuit,  and  out  of  the 
Judges  of  the  several  circuits  in  this  state, 
four  Appellate  Courts,  consisting  of  three 
Judges  each  were  selected  by  the  Supreme 
Court.  At  the  election  in  June,  1879,  Judge 
W.  R.  Welch  of  Carlinville,  Judge  Chas.  S. 
Zane  of  Springfield,  Judge  J.  J.  Phillips  of 
Hillsboro  was  elected  for  the  circuit  of 
which  Christian  county  composed  a  part. 
Judge  Zane  w^as  afterward  appointed  to  a 
Federal  Judgeship  in  Utah,  and  his  decisions 
upon  the  Mormon  question,  wdiile  presiding 
there,  lirought  him  into  much  prominence 
throughout  the  United  States ;  Judge  Wm. 
L.  Gross  of  Springfield  was  appointed  to 
fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Zane,  and 
he  filled  the  position  of  Circuit  Judge  about 
one  year ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Judge  James 
A.  Creighton,  wdio  presided  over  the  courts 
-of  Christian  county  for  many  years,  'and 
since  that  time  the  county  has  been  thrown 
into  different  circuits,  and  its  Circuit  Courts 
have  been  presided  over  by  Judge  Robert 
Shirley,  of  Carlinville,  Judge  Jacob  Fouke 
of  Vandalia,  Judge  Wm.  Farmer  of  Van- 
dalia.  Judge-  S.  L.  Wright  of  Centralia  and 
Judge  T.  E.  Ames  of  Shelbyville,  of  whom 
the  last  three  are  now  presiding  Judges  in 


50 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


the  circuit:  of  the  Judges  mentioned  alx)ve, 
Judge  J.  J.  l^hilHps,  Judo-e  W.  R.  Welch, 
Judge  Creighton  and  judge  l'"ainier  were 
from  time  to  time  selected  as  Judges  of  some 
(jf  the  \])pellate  Courts  of  the  state,  and 
Judge  J.  J.  IMiillips  was  elected  one  of  the 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state, 
which  iX)sition  he  held  until  his  death.  He 
was  succeeded  in  the  Supreme  Court  by  the 
Hon.  James  B.  Ricks,  of  Christian  county, 
who  is  at  present  one  of  the  Justices  of  said 
court. 

Many  of  the  Judges  above  mentioned  have 
died  and  passed  to  a  jurisdiction  where  no 
errors  can  be  assigned  or  judgments  re- 
versed, and  where  each  of  them  will  receive 
the  reward  they  merit. 

We  have  spoken  of  Judge  Treat  and  his 
work  upon  the  bench  of  the  State  and  Fed- 
eral Court ;  his  name  is  familiar  with  the 
bar  of  the  state,  and  many  of  the  decisions 
rendered  by  him  have  been  recorded  upon 
the  records  of  the  state;  he  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  an  honorable,  upright 
Judge. 

David  Davis  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion both  as  a  Judge  of  the  State  Courts 
and  of  the  Federal  Courts.  He  was  ele- 
vated to  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Courts  of  the  U.  S.  l)y  his  personal 
friend  and  former  as.sociate.  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  afterwards  resigned  and  was 
elected  as  U.  S.  Senator  from  the  state  of 
Illinois.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  ability, 
and  filled  several  positions  to  which  he  had 
been  elevated  w-ith  dignity  and  honor. 

It  is  said  of  Judge  Chas.  Emerson  by 
those  who  knew  him  that  he  was  a  plain, 
unassuming  man,  a  matter  of  fact  lawyer. 
He  had  but  little  sentiment,  and  dealt  very 
largely  in  facts;  yet  withal  was  kind  and 
accommodating  on  the  bench,  and  particu- 
larly to  the  younger  and  inexperienced  mem- 


bers (jf  the* bar.  Very  few  of  Judge  Em- 
ers(jn's  decisions  were  reversed  b)'  the  higher 
courts. 

Judge  E.  Y.  Rice  was  of  Montgomery 
count)',  and  ])rominently  connected  in  that 
county ;  he  presided  as  Judge  in  this  cir- 
cuit for  several  years,  wdiich  position  he 
resigned  in   1870,  and  was  elected  to  Con- 


gress. 


Judge  H.  M.  Vandeveer  was  elected  in 
1870  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge 
Rice  and  was  re-elected  in  1873,  and  con- 
tinued in  the  position  as  Judge  until  the 
year  1875,  at  wdiich  time  he  refused  to  be 
a  candidate  for  re-election. 

Judge  Vandeveer  w^as  a  good  lawyer,  an 
excellent  judge  of  human  nature  and  was 
able  under  almost  all  circumstances  to  as- 
certain the  true  facts  in  the  case  that  was 
being  heard  before  him.  and  w-as  not  easily 
deceived.  He  was  an  able,  upright  Judge 
and  while  upon  the  bench  by  his  kindness 
to  the  younger  members  of  the  bar  and  his 
appreciation  of  their  inexperience  drew  them 
very  closely  to  him. 

The  writer  remembers  that  while  linger- 
ing in  his  last  sickness,  and  his  death  was 
daih-  expected,  a  young  man  of  Macoupin 
county,  who  began  his  practice  before  Judge 
\"andeveer,  requested  the  writer  to  notify 
him  of  the  Judge's  decease  as  he  desired 
to  attend  his  funeral  and  said  that  no  man 
was  ever  kinder  to  the  young  men  upon 
the  bench  than  Judge  Vandeveer.  At  the 
close  of  his  career  as  Judge,  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  law ;  it  was  a  recognized  fact 
with  the  members  of  the  bar  that  the  Judge 
could  draw^  the  best  series  of  instructions, 
connect  them  closer  and  get  nearer  to  the 
lines  of  dispute  with  them  than  any  mem- 
ber at  the  bar,  and  he  was  frequently  called 
upon  to  perform  that  dut}-. 

In   the   latter   years   of   his   life   he   was 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


51 


badly  afilicted  with  rheumatism,  died  at  Tay- 
lorvihe  at  a  ripe  old  age,  and  was  buried  by 
the  legal  profession. 

Judge  Phillips  presided  over  the  Circuit 
Court  of  Christian  county  a  great  number 
of  years,  and  until  he  was  elected  to  the 
position  of  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

He  was  a  brilliant  man,  an  excellent  law- 
yer and  a  great  reader ;  he  kept  in  touch 
with  all  of  the  literature  and  legal  learning 
of  the  age;  while  on  the  bench  he  was  a 
rapid  worker  and  enjoyed  the  reputation  of 
being  a  man  of  integrity. 

Judge  W.  R.  Welch  of  Carlinville  was  an 
excellent  lawyer,  a  man  well  read  in  the 
law,  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  recent 
holdings  of  the  courts  and  was  a  man  of  in- 
tegrity, an  able,  conscientious  and  painstak- 
ing Judge. 

His  was  the  life  of  a  lawyer;  he  lived  in 
the  law,  and  had  rather  converse  about  legal 
propositions  than  any  other  subject.  His 
mind  seemed  to  feed  upon  the  law.  He  was 
loved  and  admired  by  all  the  members  of  the 
bar. 

We  could  say  good  words  for  the  many 
of  the  Judges  that  are  now  living,  and  have 
presided  over  our  courts,  but  it  is  not  the 
purpose  of  this  work  to  record  the  events 
of  the  living. 

PROSECUTING   ATTORNEYS. 

David  B.  Campbell  was  the  first  public 
prosecutor  of  Christian  county,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  an  able  lawyer.  He  served 
from  1839  tO'  1852 ;  after  him  came  Elam 
Rust,  who  was  elected  in  1853,  and  served 
until  1856.  J.  B.  White  served  as  prose- 
cuting attorney  in  the  District  from  1857 
until  1864;  he  afterwards  moved  on  tO'  a 
farm  near  Morrisonville  in  Christian  coun- 
ty, and  there  lived  for  a  great  number  of 
years  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about 


a  year  ago.  He  is  said  to  have  been  an 
able  prosecutor  and  a  man  of  good  ability. 

C.  M.  Morrison  served  as  prosecuting  at- 
torney from  1865  to  1868. 

Horace  Gwin  was  elected  in  1868  and 
served  until  187 1 .  Horace  Gwin  was  a  very 
able  lawyer  and  enjoyed  the  reputation  of 
being  more  thoroughly  accjuainted  with  the 
elementary  books  of  Blackstone  and  Chitty 
than  any  lawyer  of  his  day. 

In  1872  the  old  plan  of  electing  Dis- 
trict Attorneys  for  the  several  counties 
was  abandoned,  and  the  Legislature  passed 
an  act  providing  for  the  election  of  a 
State's  Attorney  in  each  county,  and  under 
this  act  Alexander  McCaskill  was  elect- 
ed prosecuting  attorney  for  Christian  coun- 
ty in  1872,  and  served  until  1876.  He 
was  afterward  elected  County  Judge. 
Judge  McCaskill  was  one  of  the  noble  men 
of  our  county,  and  was  loved  and  ad- 
mired by  all  who  knew  him,  and  he  loved 
the  people  and  constantly  drew  from  na- 
ture and  the  everyday  practices  of  the 
people  lessons  \\hich  he  at  times  used  wdth 
great  effect  in  his  advocacy  at  the  bar. 
Judge  McCaskill's  speeches  were  not  at  all 
times  masterpieces,  but  when  he  became 
thoroughly  aroused  in  a  case  and  fully  im- 
bued with  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  his  cli- 
ent, he  at  times  made  most  excellent  speeches 
to  the  jury.  The  writer  has  heard  Judge 
McCaskill  make  speeches  that  were  not  easily 
surpassed.  Notably  his  speech  in  the  prose- 
cution of  Newton  Crafton  at  Decatur,  which 
gave  him-  more  than  a  local  reputation  as 
an  advocate.  He  died  as  he  lived,  loved 
by  all  who  knew  him  and  was  indeed  a  good 
man  and  honest  in  all  his  purposes  in  life. 

V.  E.  Foy  was  elected  State's  Attorney 
in  1876,  and  served  until  1880;  was  after- 
wards twice  elected  County  Judge  of  the 
county.      Judge    Foy   was   a    whole-souled. 


52 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


good-hearted  man ;  was  honest  and  consci- 
entious in  his  work  and  was  loxed  hy  the 
people,  and  in  his  pahiiy  days  no  one  had  a 
hetter  or  stronger  hold  upon  the  people  po- 
litically than  did  Judge  Foy.  In  fact,  he 
came  nearer  knowing  how  to  reach  the  peo- 
ple and  control  them  than  any  man  that  has 
ever  been  in  the  county  since  the  writer  has 
lived  there.  Judge  Foy  died  April  2-.  1900, 
and  was  buried  by  the  profession.  His 
death  was  regretted  by  many  of  his  excel- 
lent friends. 

Judge  Foy  was  succeeded  as  State's  At- 
torney by  the  Hon.  John  G.  Drennan,  who 
was  elected  in  1880  and  served  two  terms. 
He  was  an  able  lawyer  and  vigorous  prose- 
cutor and  is  now  connected  as  associate 
counsel  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad. 
Joseph  C.  Creighton  was  elected  State's 
Attorney  in  1888.  and  served  until  1895, 
w^hen  he  w^as  compelled  to  seek  another  cli- 
mate on  account  of  his  health.  Joe,  as  he 
was  familiarly  called  bv  all  who  knew  him. 
was  a  good  lawyer,  and  had  his  health  per- 
mitted, would  doubtless  have  won  distinc- 
tion at  the  bar. 

While  acting  as  prosecutor  he  served  the 
public  well.  Few  attorneys  had  a  much  more 
difficult  time  in  getting  a  start  in  his  pro- 
fession than  did  Joe  Creighton,  but  he  had 
the  tenacity  to  hold  on  until  he  acquired  a 
foothold;  he  died  in  Utah  a  few  years  ago. 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  Creighton  left  here  in  June,  1895. 
and  the  Hon.  James  B.  Ricks  filled  his  place 
as  public  prosecutor  until  December,  1896. 
The  Hon.  E.  A.  Humphreys,  of  Pana,  w^as 
elected  State's  Attorney  in  1896,  and  has 
served  from  thence  up  to  the  present  time. 
He  is  now  livin"-  and  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  at  Pana.  and  in  the  courts  of 
Christian  count  v. 


RESIDENT  LAWYERS. 
i 

John  W.  Wheaf-  came  to  Taylorville  in 
iS_^o  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school 
and  the  practice  of  law.  but  sought  a  more 
hicrali\e  practice  in  other  parts  at  an  early 
day. 

licnjaniin  Mason  of  Greene  county.  III, 
came  to  Taylorville  in  1852:- was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  soon  after  he  came 
here.  It  is  said  that  he  was  a  l)rilliant 
voung  man  with  a  fine  legal  mind  and  soon 
obtained  considerable  practice,  and  would 
have  succeeded  well  in  the  law.  but  unfor- 
tunately for  him,  fell  into  bad  habits  and 
soon  lost  his  practice.  He  remained  here 
until  1858:  left  this  county  at  the  time  of 
the  gold  excitement  in  Pike's  Peak  and  re- 
turned  to  his  home  in  Greene  count\-  in  1862 
and  died  there  in  1870. 

Thomas  Shumaker  was  the  fifth  resident 
lawver :  he  came  to  Taylorville  in  1852  ;  was 
somewhat  "irregular"  in  his  practice  and  re- 
mained here  until  1854  when  he  removed  to 
Kansas,  and  while  there  achieved  some  noto- 
riety and  wealth. 

*A\'as  one  of  those  restless,  energetic  men 
and  was  peculiarly  adapted  for  the  stirring 
times  incident  to  the  histor}^  of  Kansas  w^hile 
vet  under  territorial  government.  His  prom- 
inencv.  however,  proved  his  death ;  he  w^as 
shot  and  killed  in  one  of  the  riots  that  dis- 
p-raced  the  earlv  historv  of  that  state." 

J.  H.  Dawdy  located  in  Pana  in  1856;  was 
a  native  of  Illinois  and  became  a  law^yer 
from  force  of  circumstances;  there  being  no 
attorney  at  Pana,  when  he  first  located  there, 
and  a  lawyer  being,  very  much  in  demand, 
he  concluded  to  study  for  the  profession; 
w^as  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1856.  Soon  after 
he  was  elected  Associate  Justice  for  the 
county,  and  thereafter  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
which  office  of  lustice  of  the  Peace  he  held 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


53 


for  a  great  many  years;  he  died  at  Pana  a 
few  years  ago. 

George  Pease  was  the  second  lawyer  in 
Pana ;  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  a 
'  graduate  of  Yale  college.  Came  to  Pana  in 
1857.  and  continued  there  in  practice  until 
1861  ;  enlisted  in  the  army  and  elected  cap- 
tain of  his  company,  and  after  serving  his 
country  for  two  years  returned  to  this  coun- 
ty and  resumed  his  practice.  After  leaving 
Pana  he  removed  to  Taylorville,  and  from 
thence  to  Colorado,  where  he  now  resides, 
unless  he  has  died  recently. 

James  O.  Connor  was  also  a  resident  law- 
yer of  Pana.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
York;  located  at  Pana  in  1858  and  continued 
in  the  practice  until  1861  when  he  entered 
the  army  and  was  elected  as  Lieutenant  of 
a  company  in  the  3rd  Illinois  Cavalry;  was 
subsequently  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major 
and  continued  in  the  service  until  the  close 
of  the  war  and  when  last  known  was  resid- 
ing at  Helena,  Ark. 

Harrison  Havens  read  law  while  a  clerk 
in  the  office  of  W.  S.  Moore,  Circuit  Clerk ; 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  practiced  very 
little.  He  went  to  Iowa  and  then  to  Spring- 
field. Mo.,  where  he  permanently  located  and 
continued  in  the  practice.  Since  becoming  a 
resident  of  the  latter  place  he  has  twice  rep- 
resented his  district  in  Congress. 

D.  K.  Hall  came  to  Taylorville  in  1859. 
LTpon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  en- 
tered the  service  as  First  Lieutenant;  was 
promoted  during  the  war  to  the  rank  of 
Major.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  settled 
in  the  State  of  Missouri  where  he  still  lives 
so  far  as  known. 

Hon.  D.  D.  Shumway  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  Came  to  Christian  county 
in  1843;  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1860.  Then  formed  a  law 
partnership  with  the  Hon.   H.   M.   Vande- 


veer,  and  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
man  in  the  county  and  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  held  many  offices  of  honor  and 
trust;  he  died  in  1870.  His  history  and 
character  are  given  fully  in  other  chapters 
of  this  work. 

D.  T.  Moore  was  another  member  of  the 
bar.  Was  admitted  to  practice  and  remained 
here  until  1864  when  he  removed  to  Wash- 
ington, Iowa,  but  now  resides  in  York,  Neb- 
raska. 

David  McWilliams  came  to  Taylorville  in 
1863.  Lie  remained  here  until  1866  when 
he  removed  and  located  at  Monticello,  Piatt 
county,  111. 

S.  P.  Davis  was  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian county  bar,  and  was  also  a  journalist 
and  is  better  known  as  the  latter  than  the 
former.  In  1868  he  removed  to  BellevilTe, 
then  to  Denver,   Colo.,   where  he  died. 

J.  G.  Murdock,  an  attorney,  also  came  to 
this  county  and  made  an  effort  to  obtain  a 
practice,  but  for  some  reason  was  not  able 
to  do  SO',  and  left  the  place.  It  is  said  he 
moved  to  Texas. 

Dan'l  McFarland,  an  attorney  from  O'Fal- 
lon,  in  St.  Clair  county,  came  to  Taylor- 
ville in  1871  and  opened  a  law  office;  he 
left  here  soon  afterward. 

A.  D.  Rich,  located  in  Pana  in  1870.  Is 
said  to  have  established  the  Pana  Palladium, 
a  newspaper  that  still  exists.  He  practiced 
law  to  some  extent,  and  remained  in  Pana 
until  1872  when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  thence 
to  Missouri. 

J.  A.  Tyler,  formerly  a  resident  of  Macon 
county,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Decatur ; 
came  to  Taylorville  in  1872  and  remained 
for  several  years.  While  here  he  contracted 
a  fatal  disease  and  died  soon  thereafter. 
The  writer  was  personally  acquainted  with 
Mr.  Tavlor,  and  knew  him  to  be  a  brilliant 
young-   man,    a    ready    speaker    and    if   his 


54 


I'AST  AND  PRESENT 


health  had  permitted  he  no  doubt  would 
ha\-e  made  a  brii^lit  aihocatc  at  the  bar. 

S.  vS.  Hibbard  came  to  Taylorx'ille  in 
about  1874.  but  did  not  remain  a  great 
length  of  time ;  he  afterwards  abandoned 
the  practice  of  law  and  engaged  in  the  min- 
istr}-;  was  a  quiet  unobtrusive  gentleman 
and  a  good  lawyer. 

IT.  AT.  \^andeveer  must  be  regarded  as 
the  "Nestor"  of  the  Taylorville  bar.  He 
began  the  practice  of  law  here  at  an  early 
day.  and  soon  became  the  leading  lawyer 
at  the  bar,  and  continued  such  until  his 
election  as  Judge.  Special  mention  has  been 
made  of  the  history  of  Judge  Vandeveer  in 
connection  with  him  as  Judge  of  the  Circuit 
Court,  and  in  other  parts  of  this  history 
w^hich  will  not  be  repeated. 

A.  B.  Hammer  located  at  Assumption  in 
about  the  year  1868;  shortly  thereafter 
moved  to  Taylor^alle  where  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  J.  M.  Simpson,  and  was 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  here  for 
some  time,  but  left  in  about  the  year  1874. 
Hammer  now  resides  in  Oklahoma,  and 
Simpson  at  AlcPherson,  Kansas. 

In  about  the  year  1873,  Messrs.  Hayes  & 
Zollars  located  at  Taylorville,  but  were  u.t.- 
able  to  secure  the  practice  anticipated,  ana 
soon  left. 

Chas.  A.  Shirley  commenced  the  practice 
of  law  in  Taylorville  in  1877,  but  remained 
here  but  a  short  time. 

G.  W.  Hinman  came  to  Pana  in  1877;  ^^' 
mained  one  year  and  removed  to  his  former 
home,  Pike  county.  111. 

J.  W.  Stanley  practiced  law  in  Pana;  was 
elected  City  Attorney  at  that  place  and  after- 
wards removed  to  Lawrence  county.  Til. 

Daniel  Miller  was  Clerk  of  the  Court  of 
Christian  countv,  and  studied  law  durine- 
his  term  of  office.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
a  good  lawyer  and  quite  popular;  died   in 


Taylorville;  was  a  brother  of  E.  A.  Miller 
J.   M.  Penwell  located  in   Pana  in    1867; 
had  a  limited  practice  and  died  in    1878. 

Wm.  n.  Dawdy  was  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1866.  Read 
law  with  Judge  Henry  of  Vandalia ;  was 
elected  city  attorney  of  Pana,  and  at  the  ex- 
]Mration  of  his  term  of  office  located  in 
Greenville,  Illinois,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. Has  been  State's  Attorney  of  that 
county,  and  has  filled  other  positions  of 
prominence. 

A.  C.  McMillen  practiced  law  in  Pana; 
came  there  in  18^/1.  Was  a  bright,  ener- 
getic fellow,  and  met  with  some  success  in 
the   practice   of   law;    he    died    at    Pana   in 

1875- 

Andrew   Simpson   was  one  of  the  older 

members  of  the  bar;  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky and  came  to  Illinois  in  1835.  Was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1857,  and  continued 
in  the  practice  of  law  until  his  death.  He 
was  honored  with  offices  of  trust  in  the 
county ;  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County 
Judge  prior  to  township  organization ;  as  a 
lawyer  he  ranked  high  at  the  bar.  His 
superior  knowledge  of  human  nature,  the 
motive  and  springs  of  human  action  made 
him  a  dangerous  antagonist  to  cope  with 
before  a  jury.  As  a  man,  he  was  plain  and 
unassuming ;  had  a  way  that  was  peculiarly 
his  own,  and  was  quite  humorous  at  times. 
He  was  an  excellent  advocate;  was  a  man 
of  integrit} ,  and  w'as  especially  strong  be- 
fore a  jury. 

Wm.  S.  Randle  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina ;  studied  law  in  the  office  of  A.  W. 
Metcalf  of  Edwardsville;  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1858.  Came  to  this  county  in 
1869,  and  engaged  in  farming  as  well  as  the 
practice  of  law. 

S.  G.  Lewis  was  a  native  of  Delaware; 
emigrated  to  Greene  county.    111.,   in    1844; 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


56 


was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Carrollton  in 
i860,  and  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Tay- 
lorville  in    1878. 

J.  M.  Birce  was  a  graduate  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor ;  was  admit- 
ted to  the  practice  of  law  in  1861  ;  in  1865 
he  came  to  Assumption,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1866.  He  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  law ;  was  a  painstaking,  ear- 
nest lawyer:  always  resided  at  Assumption 
after  coming  to  this  county,  and  was  re- 
garded as  an*  honorable,  upright  lawyer.  He 
died  at  his  home  in  Assumption  a  few  years 
ago. 

Hon.  WuL  Edgar  Morrison  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1867;  began  the  practice  of 
law  at  Springfield,  111.,  shortly  thereafter. 
After  engaging  in  business  for  four  years 
at  Springfield,  he  then  moved  to  Morrison- 
ville  in  this  county  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  was  a  good  speaker,  and  in  trials 
before  a  jury  they  were  well  entertained 
by  the  speeches  of  Mr.  Morrison. 

Hon.  John  B.  Jones  was  a  native  of  Ohio ; 
he  came  to  Christian  county  in  1864.  Read 
law  here  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1868  and  Ijegan  the  practice  of  law  at  No- 
koinis,  111.  Shortly  thereafter  he  returned 
to  Taylorville,  where  he  opened  an  office  and 
continued  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylor- 
ville until  about  1882,  at  which  time  he  re- 
moved to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  where  he 
now  resides.  Mr.  Jones  while  in  Taylor- 
ville enjoyed  a  very  lucrative  practice;  he 
was  an  earnest,  painstaking  lawyer. 

Mr.  D.  F.  Murray  studied  law  with  Mr. 
J.  B.  Jones;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
187 1  and  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Mor- 
risonville  where  he  continued  in  the  prac- 
tice for  several  years.  He  then  moved  to 
Washington,  where  he  continued  to  reside 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  two 
years  ago.     Mr.   Murray  was  at  all  times 


a  gentleman,  honest,  conscientious  in  his 
work,  and  ever  diligent  in  protecting  the  in- 
terests of  his  clients,  and  was  a  good  lawyer 
and  safe  counsellor. 

Mr.  Geo.  B.  Crooker  was  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois; was  admitted  to-  the  bar  in  1874, 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  C.  McBride 
and  continued  in  the  practice  with  him  un- 
til Mr.  Crooker's  removal  to  Kansas  in 
about  the  year  i88.|,  at  which  time  he  re- 
moved to  Anthony,  Kansas,  and  there  con- 
tinued in  the  practice  of  law,  where  he  is 
now  living. 

W  E.  Foy  read  law  in  the  office  of  J.  B. 
Jones;  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law 
in  1874,  and  was  shortly  thereafter  elected 
State's  Attorney  for  this  county.  His  char- 
acter as  a  lawyer  and  man  have  been  treat- 
ed in  this  chapter  in  his  connection  with  the 
office  of  State's  Attorney. 

Daniel  McCaskell  came  to  Christian 
county  in  1865;  read  law  with  his  brother, 
A.  McCaskell;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1870  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
in  1872  at  Taylorville.  In  1874  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother,  which  con- 
tinued until  about  the  year  1876,  when  he 
was  compelled  on  account  of  ill  health  to 
abandon  the  practice  and  move  to  Colorado. 
He  regained  his  health,  and  since  then  has 
moved  to  Chicago,  and  now  enjoys  a  lucra- 
tive practice  in  the  city  of  Chicago. 

James  B.  Ricks  was  educated  at  Wesleyan 
University,  Bloomington,  111.;  studied  law 
in  the  office  of  Andrew  Simpson;  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1874.  He  was  a  good 
lawyer,  a  nice,  smooth  talker,  and  enjoyed 
a  lucrative  practice  up  to  the  time  of  his 
election  as  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Su- 
preme Court. 

John  G.  Drennan  studied  law  in  the  of- 
fice of  John  B.  Jones;  was  admitted  to  the 
bar   in    1878.      Formed  a  partnership  with 


56 


PAST  y\ND  PRESENT 


Mr.  Junes  which  continued  for  several  years 
anil  nnlil  the  election  of  Mr.  l^rcnnan  as 
Slate's  Attorney.  A  more  complete  history 
of  Mr.  Drennan  as  a  lawyer  was  given  in 
this  chapter  in  connection  with  his  office  as 
State's  Attorney;  he  now  resides  in  Chica- 
go, and  is  assistant  counsel  for  the  Illinois 
Central   Railroad. 

j.  C.  Essick  hecame  a  memher  of  the  har 
in  1870;  practiced  law  at  Pana,  111.,  for 
many  years.  Was  a  good  lawyer  and  tluent 
talker;  he  afterwards  uKned  to  Chicago, 
where  he  now  lives  and  enjoys  a  lucrative 
law  practice. 

W'm.  Kelligor  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1878,  and  after  practicing  law  at  Pana  for. 
a  short  time  removed  to  Nebraska  where 
he  now  resides  and  is  said  to  have  become  a 
good  lawyer,  and  to  enjoy  a  lucrative  prac- 
tice. 

S.  R.  Tippey  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1877,  and  resided  in  Pana  for  some  time. 

W.  T.  Houston  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1879;  practiced  law  at  Edinburg  for 
many  years;  he  afterwards  moved  tO'  Spring- 
field, where  he  continued  in  the  practice  un- 
til his  death  a  few  years  ago. 

E.  Copperthwaite  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1879,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  J. 
M.  Birce  at  Assumption,  where  he  continued 
in  the  practice  of  law  for  several  years.  He 
was  a  bright,  fluent  talker;  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature  where  he  earned  for  him- 
self f|uite  a  reputation  as  a  public  speaker. 

P).  I''.  Burnett  was, admitted  to  the  bar  in 
the  state  of  Michigan,  in  the  year  1836; 
practiced  laAv  in  that  state  for  over  20 
years.  Pie  afterwards  moved  to  Litchfield, 
111.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  publishing  of 
a  newspaper,  and  moved  to  Taylorville  in 
the  year  1880,  where  he  lived  until  his  death. 
Mr.  Burnett  was  a  well  read  lawyer  and 
great  student,  and  had  the  faculty  of  saying 


pleasant  things,  but  when  th^  occasion  re- 
(pnred  he  could  use  as  poisonous  terms  as 
an}-  one,  but  he  did  not  engage  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  many  years  1)eforc  his  death; 
he  died  at  Taylorville  many  years  ago. 

\V.  S.  Moore  was  a  native  of  Ohio;  came 
to  Taylorville  in  1848;  read  law  with  H. 
M.  Vandeveer  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1852,  and  continued  in  the  practice  of 
law  and  filling  the  office  of  County  Judge 
and  Circuit  Clerk  until  his  retirement  from 
the  profession  in  1878.  After  that  he  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  until  the 
latter  years  of  his  life,  when  he  removed 
to  Morrisonville,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
keeping  hotel  until  his  death. 

A.  McCaskell  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1857,  and  soon  thereafter  removed  to  Tay- 
lorville where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  until  1859,  when  he  removed  to  Colo- 
rado, returning  here  in  1861,  where  he  again 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  this  coun- 
ty, and  continued  in  the  profession  until  the 
time  of  his  death ;  he  was  elected  State's 
Attorney  and  County  Tudge.  A  more  com- 
plete history  is  given  of  Judge  McCaskell  in 
another  portion  of  this  chapter. 

Frank  Reed  is  a  native  of  Taylorville,  111., 
born  in  187 1  ;  was  educated  at  public  schools 
in  Taylorville;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
year  1893. 

O.  W.  Reed  is  a  native  of  Taylorville, 
born  in  i860;  was  educated  in  the  schools 
at  Tavlorville;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  abo-ut 
the  year  1890;  shortly  thereafter  he  accept- 
ed a  position  in  the  pension  department  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  continued  in  that 
position  for  many  years.  PTc  now  resides  in 
Texas. 

Present  Members  of  the  Bar. 

We  will  not  undertake  to  give  a  biograph- 
ical sketch  of  the  present  members  of  the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


57 


l)ar;  neither  shall  we  nnfokl  their  greatness 
or  expose  their  weakness ;  we  shonld  dislike 
very  much  to  tell  any  of  their  bad  traits,  if 
they  had  any,  and  to  undertake  to  tell  all 
of  the  good  acts  we  know  al)out  them  might 
require  more  space  than  can  be  devoted  to 
this  work,  so^  w'e  shall  content  ourselves  w-ith 
giving  their  place  of  birth,  education  and 
dates  of  admission  to  the  bar,  and  allow  the 
reader  to  follow  them  in  their  daily  walk 
through  life  and  judge  for  liimself  of  their 
character  and  ability. 

James  M.  Tavlor  is  a  native  of  Scotland ; 
was  educated  in  Academy  of  Waukegan,  111., 
and  Kenosha  High  School ;  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1868,  and  began  the  practice 
O'f  law  in  Taylor ville  in  1868,  and  is  prob- 
ably the  oldest  practitioner  in  the  comity. 

W.  M.  Provine  is  a  native  of  Illinois;  was 
educated  in  common  schools,  concluding  at 
Macomb  Seminary ;  was  licensed  to  prac- 
tice law  in  the  year  1868.  Shortly  there- 
after he  moved  to  Taylorville  and  has  been 
since  that  time  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  here. 

J.  C.  McBride  is  a  native  of  Illinois;  w^as 
educated  at  Earlham  College  and  Lincoln 
University  of  Lincohi,  III,  graduating  in 
1S69;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1870,  and 
shortly  thereafter  began  the  practice  of  law 
at  Taylorville,  and  continued  therein  to  the 
present  time. 

Wm.  T.  Vandeveer  was  born  in  Christian 
county ;  educated  at  Shurtleff  Upper  Alton ; 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1871,  and  for  a 
time  practiced  law  at  Taylorville;  he  still 
resides  at  Taylorville,  but  abandoned  the 
practice  several  years  ago. 

John  W.  Kitchell  is  a  native  of  Illinois; 
was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  in  Iowa 
in  1852  and  afterwards  in  this  state,  and 
shortly  thereafter  located  at  Pana,  where  he 
has  resided  ever  since. 


J.  C.  McOuigg  is  a  native  of  Ohio ;  was 
educated  at  the  Fredericksburg  Academy 
and  Vermilion  College  of  Ohio,  graduating 
therefrom  in  1865.  Graduated  from  the  law 
department  of  Michigan  University  in  1867, 
and  was  at  once  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
soon  located  in  Pana  where  he  has  resided 
and  practiced  law  to  the  present  time. 

E.  A.  Humphreys  is  a  native  of  Illinois ; 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Christian 
county ;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  year 
1872,  and  shortly  thereafter  began  the  prac- 
tice of  law  at  Pana,  where  he  has  continued 
to  reside  to  the  present  time. 

John  E.  Hogan  is  a  native  of  this  coun- 
ty. Was  educated  at  Taylorville;  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  year  1888;  and  shortly 
thereafter  entered  upon  the  practice  oi  law, 
and  is  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  profes- 
sion at  the  present  time. 

Erank  P.  Drennan  is  a  native  of  Chris- 
tian county ;  was  educated  in  this  county 
and  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881;  and  soon 
thereafter  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law 
at  Taylorville,  where  he  now  resides  and  is 
engaged  in  his  chosen  profession. 

R.  M.  Potts  is  a  native  of  Christian 
county;  was  educated  in  public  schools;  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1892;  and  shortly  there- 
after began  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylor- 
ville, where  he  has  continued  to  the  present 
time ;  he  served  one  term  as  County  Judge. 

L.  G.  Grundy  is  a  native  of  Macoupin 
county;  was  educated  at  Ann  Arbor;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1893,  and  shortly 
thereafter  entered  upon  the  practice  at  Tay- 
lorville, and  still  resides  at  Taylorville.  He 
also  served  one  term  as  County  Judge. 

J.  E.  Sharrock  is  a  native  of  Towerhdl; 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1886  and  shortly 
thereafter  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law 
in  Shelby  county,  from  which  place  he 
moved  to  Taylorville  in  1893,  and  has  been 


58 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  ever  since; 
he  served  two  terms  in  the  Legislature. 

J.  A.  Merry  was  born  in  Bond  County, 
111.  Attended  the  Greenville  High  School, 
and  afterwards  gratluated  at  the  Valparai- 
so, Indiana,  Normal  School,  and  pursued 
the  law  course  at  Hayward  College,  Fair- 
field. Til.  Admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  year 
1893,  and  began  practicing  law  at  Vandal ia, 
111.,  and  remained  there  until  the  year  1894, 
at  which  time  he  moved  to  Taylorville,  111., 
and  since  that  time  resided  in  the  City  of 
Taylorville,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  at  Taylorville. 

John  P).  Colegrove  is  a  native  of  Illinois; 
was  educated  in  Christian  county;  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  year  1889 ;  soon  thereafter 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylor- 
ville and  is  at  the  present  time  pursuing  his 
profession. 

James  L.  Drennan  is  a  native  of  Chris- 
tian county;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Christian  county;  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  the  year  1893.  and  has  since  that  time 
l>een  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  until 
about  two  years  ago,  when  he  accepted  the 
position  of  Secretary  to  Judge  Ricks,  which 
place  he  now  holds. 

Alfred  Adams  is  a  native  of  Illingis;  was 
educated  at  Fairfield  and  Greenville,  Hay- 
ward  and  Almira  colleges ;  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  the  year  1893,  and  thereafter  after 
his  admission  to  the  bar  moved  to  Taylor- 
ville and  entered  u])on  the  practice  at  this 
place,  and  is  at  the  present  time  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law  here. 

Edward  Adams  was  educated  at  Dixon 
College;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1897;  soon 
thereafter  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Tay- 
lorville and  continued  in  his  profession  un- 
til about  the  first  of  January  last,  when  he 
accepted  a  position  in  the  Pension  Depart- 
ment at  Washington. 


F.  O.  Edler  was  born  and  educated  in 
h'rancc;  emigrated  to  Illinois  about  15  years 
ago;  shortly  thereafter  admitted  to  the  bar 
but  removed  from  'i'aylorville  to  Oklahoma 
about  the  first  of  January  last,  where  he 
now  resides. 

W.  S.  Greer  is  a  native  of  Illinois;  was 
educated  in  Christian  county,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  about  10  years  ago;  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylorville 
for  several  years,  but  moved  to  Chicago 
about  the  first  of  November  last,  where  he  is 
now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law. 

Fred  O.  Waggoner  is  a  native  of  this 
county;  educated  in  the  schools  of  this 
county  and  admitted  to  the  bar  in  about  the 
year  1890;  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law 
at  Morrisonville  and  continued  at  that  place 
until  about  the  year  1895  when  he  moved  to 
Oklahoma  Territory,  where  he  now  resides. 

Paul  Dowdel  was  born  and  educated  in 
Illinois;  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  in 
about  the  year  1895;  and  for  awhile  prac- 
ticed at  Taylorville;  afterwards  moved  to 
Assumption  thence  to  Memphis,  Tenn., 
where  he  now  resides,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession. 

James  B.  Abrams  is  a  native  of  Chris- 
tian county;  educated  in  the  county;  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  about  10  years  ago,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Taylor- 
ville, where  he  continued  in  the  profession 
until  about  the  month  of  November  last, 
when  he  moved  to  the  state  of  Washington, 
where  he  now  resides. 

C.  E.  Abrams  is  a  native  of  Christian 
county,  and  educated  here  and  Shurtleff  Col- 
lege; was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  about  the 
year  1901  ;  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law 
at  Taylorville  until  al)out  the  month  of  No- 
vember last,  when  he  moved  to  the  state  of 
Montana,  where  he  now  resides. 

Leroy  Anderson  is  a  nati\'e  of  this  county. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


59 


and  educated  here;  was  admitted  to  the  liar 
in  1897  and  practiced  law  at  Taylorville  un- 
til the  spring  of  1903,  at  which  time  he 
moved  to  Prescott.  Arizona,  where  he  now 
pursues  his  profession. 

A.  D.  Sitler  was  born  in  Shelby  coijnty, 
Illinois;  educated  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas, 
Normal  College;  admitted  to-  the  practice 
of  law  in  the  year  1892  and  shortly  there- 
after began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Taylorville,  where  he  has  since  that  time 
resided. 

C.  H.  Shamel  was  born  in  Christian 
county ;  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Illinois,  and  shortly  after  his  graduation  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  immediately  com- 
menced practicing  law  at  Taylorville.  and 
has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  ever  since 
that  time. 

James  H.  Forrester  is  a  native  of  Chris- 
tian county ;  was  educated  at  LIniversity  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Normal ;  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1897  and  shortly  thereafter  began  the 
practice  of  law  at  Taylorville  where  he  still 
resides.  He  is  at  present  serving  as  County 
Judge  of  the  county,  having  been  elected  in 
1902. 

Geo.  Wallace  is  a  native  of  Christian 
county;  was  educated  at  Lincoln  University 
at  Lincoln,  111.,  graduating  therefrom  in 
1894;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  year 
1899,  and  has  since  that  time  been  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylorville,  where 
he  now  resides. 

Walter  M.  Provine  is  a  native  of  Illinois; 
was  educated  at  the  High  School  in  Taylor- 
ville, graduating  therefrom  in  1895  and  af- 
terwards graduated  in  the  law  department 
of  Cornell  University,  N.  Y.,  in  1897,  and 
was  soon  thereafter  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
this  state,  and  has  since  that  time  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylorville. 

W.  B.  McBride  is  a  native  of  Qiristian 


county;  born  at  Taylorville;  was  educated 
at  Illinois  University  and  Ada  College,  Ada, 
Ohio,  graduating  from  the  latter  college  in 
civil  engineering  in  1895;  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1898,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylor- 
ville. 

W.  R.  Dexheimer  is  a  native  of  Christian 
county ;  was  educated  at  Dixon,  111. ;  ad- 
mitted to-  the  bar  in  the  year  1901,  shortly 
thereafter  commencing  the  practice  oi  law 
at  Taylorville,  and  is  still  engaged  in  his 
chosen  profession. 

Arthur  Yockey  was  born  in  Christian 
.  county ;  educated  in  the  common  schools  and 
high  school  .at  Taylorville;  graduated  at 
Valparaiso,  Ind.  Attended  law  school  in 
Chicago;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1899.  Been 
practicing  in  Taylorville  since  that  time. 

R.  C.  Neff  is  a  native  of  Sangamon  coun- 
ty, 111. ;  was  educated  at  common  schools, 
Valparaiso,  Ind. ;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
year  1899  and  has  since  that  time  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylorville, 
where  he  now  resides. 

D.  O.  Potts  was  born  in  Christian  coun- 
ty, 111.;  educated  in  common  schools;  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  in 
1898;  recently  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Illi- 
nois, where  he  is  now  practicing. 

Leslie  Taylor  is  a  native  of  Taylorville, 
was  educated  at  ShurtlefT  College,  Upper 
Alton  and  John  Marshall  Law  School,  Chi- 
cago;  admitted  to-  the  bar  in  the  year  1903 
and  soon  commenced  the  practice  of  law  at 
Taylorville,  and  is  at  the  present  time  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  his  chosen  profession. 

C.  A.  Prater  was  born  and  educated  in 
Christian  county,  111.,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1882,  and  began  the  practice  of 
law  at  Edinburg,  111.,  and  since  that  time 
he  had  resided  and  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  that  place. 


60 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


J.  H.  Morgan  is  a  native  of  Indiana; 
was  educated  at  Marion  College,  Marion,  In- 
diana; admitted  to  the  l)ar  in  1895,  and 
shortly  thereafter  began  the  practice  of  law 
at  Pana.  at  which  place  he  has  since  that 
time  resided,  and  been  pursuing  his  chosen 
profession. 

C.  E.  Springstun  is  a  native  of  Indiana; 
was  educated  in  ln(hana  and  Illinois;  admit- 
ted to  the  l)ar  in  1893,  and  shortly  thereafter 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  Pana,  and 
is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

J.  H.  Fornoff  \vas  born  in  Illinois;  edu- 
cated at  Wesleyan  Law  School;  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  year  1892,  and  has  since 
that  time  lieen  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  at  Pana. 

E.  E.  Dowel  was  born  at  Shell)yville,  111. ; 
graduated  at  Pana  High  School;  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  year  1900  and  has  since 
that  time  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  at  Pana,  where  he  now  resides  and  pur- 
sues his  chosen  profession. 

M.  J.  Fitzgerald  was  born  and  educated 
in  Fayette  county.  111. ;  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  about  ten  years  ago,  and  practiced  law 
for  a  while  in  his  native  county,  but  after- 
ward removed  to  Assumption,  111.,  at  which 
place  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  for  several  years. 

Frank  L.  Taylor  was  born  in  Macon 
county.  111.  Was  educated  at  the  Normal 
University  of  Varparaiso,  Ind.,  where  he 
was  graduated  on  the  com])letion  of  a  busi- 
ness course;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1902,  and  immediately  thereafter  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  at  Decatur,  111.,  where 
he  continued  until  June,  1903.  at  which  time 
he  moved  to  Assumption,  and  has  since  then 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  that 
place. 

A.  E.  Gowan  was  born  in  Jersey  county, 


111.  Graduated  in  the  commercial  depart- 
ment of  the  liillslioro  Academy.  He  read 
knv  at  Morrisonville  and  later  attended  law 
school  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  Was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  s])ring  of  1883;  moved  to 
Morrisonville  and  there  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  and  has  continued  in  the  practice 
at  that  i)lace  almost  continuously  since  that 
time. 

Edwin  F.  O'Farrell  was  born  and  edu- 
cated in  Shelby  county,  111.  Admitted  to 
the  l)ar  in  1901,  and  immediately  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Pana,  III,  at 
which  place  he  has  been  engaged  in  his  pro- 
fession since  that  time. 

David  M.  Sharp  was  born  in  Christian 
county.  111. ;  was  educated  at  the  Illinois 
College  of  Jacksonville,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated;  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
year  1889,  and  shortly  thereafter  began  tlie 
practice  of  law  at  Taylorville,  III,  at  which 
place  he  continued  in  the  business  of  his 
profession  for  several  years,  but  has  recent- 
ly occupied  his  attention  with  farming. 

Incidents  of  Early  Days. 

The  early  settlement  of  the  locality  now 
composing  Christian  County  was  com- 
menced as  early  as  the  year  1827,  and  those 
settling  here  between  that  date  and  1848 
are  what  in  fact  compose  the  early  settlers 
of  this  locality.  To  appreciate  the  real  per- 
ils undergone,  the  reader  must  imagine  this 
as  a  locality  without  any  houses  or  fields  or 
even  any  signs  of  civilization  and  then  take 
the  first  settler  who  came  to  this  locality  and 
see  what  he  did  after  arriving  here;  of 
c(nu-se  he  brought  with  him  his  axe  and  saw 
,'md  such  other  tools  as  he  had  or  could  se- 
cure, and  a  small  supply  of  provisions  which 
could  in  no  event  be  very  extenf^ive,  select- 
ed the  locality  upon  which  he  desired  to 
build,  in  the  timber,  then  the  first  thing  he 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


61 


did  was  to  build  a  house  to-  live  in :  this 
was  done  by  cutting  log's,  hewing  and 
notching  them  and  then  laying  them  one 
u^Don  the  other  in  the  same  manner  that  a 
rail  pen  is  built  until  the  cabin  was  of  the 
desired  height,  usually  6  to  8  feet.  Large 
timbers  were,  laid  across  the  building,  taking 
the  place  of  sleepers  which  supported  the 
puncheon  floor  when  laid ;  in  some  instances 
floors  were  not  laid  for  a  long  time  after  the 
building  of  the  cabin,  then  on  top  of  these 
logs  rafters  or  something  to  support  the 
roof  were  placed  and  the  building  roofed 
with  clapboards  which  were  rived  out  of 
the  timber.  A  large  fireplace  was  built  in 
one  end  oi  the  building,  and  the  chimney 
built  of  sticks  covered  with  mud,  for  plas- 
tering, inside  and  out ;  clay  was  pounded  in 
to  form  a  fireplace,  hearth  and  jambs  and 
to  build  the  chimneys  to  a  sufficient  height 
to  prevent  the  fire  from  burning  the  build- 
ing. This  done,  then  the  next  thing  was 
tO'  dig  a  well,  and  build  some  shelter  for 
the  stock.  It  frequently  happened  that  the 
construction  of  the  log  cabin  and  the  raising 
of  a  crop  for  feed  for  the  next  year  was 
carried  on  at  the  same  time  and  frequently 
two  or  three  families  would  come  and  set- 
tle together,  build  a  house  together  and  live 
together  until  their  buildings  could  Ije  con- 
structed. 

At  the  first  opportunity,  the  owner  with 
his  axe  and  saw  and  an  auger  would  build 
the  furniture  for  the  house,  which  consist- 
ed of  bedsteads  made  of  poles  with  one  end 
fastened  in  the  log  of  the  house  and  the 
other  frequently  resting  on  a  fork  or  bed- 
post constructed  and  extending  out  into  the 
floor.  These  improvised  beds  were  so  con- 
structed in  many  instances  that  they  could 
be  taken  down  during  the  day  time  and 
readily  put  up  at  night,  thereby  giving  more 
room  for  the  occupants  of  the  small  cabin. 


As  soon  as  the  cabin  and  the  reasonable 
conviences  of  this  one  were  constructed,  then 
the  work  of  constructing  a  cabin  for  a  neigh- 
bor began.  The  families  from  this  little 
cabin  in  a  short  time  would  begin  improve- 
ments upon  farms  for  themselves,  by  erect- 
ing their  cabins,  and  in  many  instances,  a 
neighborhood  of  three  to  half  a  dozen  fami- 
lies would  soon  be  formed  consisting  of  those 
who  came  and  located  in  that  particular 
place ;  and  for  many  years  it  frequently  hap- 
pened that  the  nearest  neighborhood  would 
be  from  5  to  15  miles,  and  in  some  instances 
the  settler  and  his  family  lived  alone  and 
without  any  neighbor  nearer  than  two-  to 
five  miles,  and  thus  along  the  timbers  of 
Bear  Creek,  of  Soiith  Fork,  North  Fork 
and  Flat  Branch,  the  settlements  gradually 
grew  and  the  distance  between  neighbors 
was  within  10  or  15  years  reduced  to  that 
of  a  mile  or  less. 

It  is  related  that  some  of  the  early  settlers 
did  not  see  the  face  of  a  white  man  more 
than  once  or  twice  during  the  whole  year. 
Some  of  these  inhabitants  were  without  a 
horse,  or  even  a  yoke  .of  oxen,  and  in  some 
instances  they  raised  the  crops  to  feed  them- 
selves and  family  with  the  hoe;  in  others 
they  had  rudely  constructed  plows  and  ex- 
changed work,  which  enabled  them  to  more 
readily  till  the  soil  and  get  from  it  better 
results. 

They  were  not  required  to  raise  their 
meat,  as  at  that  time  the  lands  abounded 
in  wild  deer,  turkey,  chicken  and  all  other 
kinds  of  game  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
pioneer  was  always  certain  of  his  meat  at 
any  time. 

It  is  related  by  an  old  settler  that  even 
after  Taylorville  had  been  located  and  peo- 
ple residing  here  and  the  first  courthouse 
constructed  that  Wm.  Darner,  an  expert 
hunter  made  a  "stand"  for  deer  in  a  little 


62 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


grove  located  in  al>out  the  place  where  the 
West  school  building-  now  stands,  and  that 
many  were  the  deer  that  he  killed  from  that 
''stand."  Jt  is  said  that  you  could  stand  in 
the  first  courthouse  .and  look  out  over  the 
prairie  and  observe  deer  passing  around  the 
little  village  in  herds  of  20  to  50;  they  were 
indeed  abundant,  and  the  meat  thus  obtained 
b\-  the  settler  was  very  much  relished.  It 
is  also  said  that  bees  were  very  plentiful 
in  this  country  at  that  time,  would  hive  in 
the  hollow  trees  and  make  large  quantities 
of  honey,  and  the  early  settler  was  able  to 
supply  himself  and  family  with  honey  from 
the  cutting  of  these  bee  trees;  in  many  in- 
stances, large  cjuantities  of  honey  would  be 
obtained  from  a  single  bee  tree;  experts  in 
l)ee  hunting  were  able  to  find  these  trees 
\-erv  readily.  It  is  said  of  one  early  settler 
that  on  a  trip  taken  by  him  from  Campbell's 
Point  to  Buckhart  Grove  and  Mosquito 
Creek  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  they 
found  a  great  number  of  bee  trees  and  se- 
cured about  45  gallons  of  honey  and  60 
pounds  oi  beeswax ;  that  at  another  time  on 
a  trip  over  on  the  North  Fork,  Okaw  and 
Ivaskaskia  rivers,  they  found  about  40  bee 
trees.  This  w^as  as  early  as  1822,  and  it 
was  said  that  this  settler,  Samuel  Williams, 
in  all  his  bee  hunting  found  no  traces  of 
any  settlers  along  the  several  streams  and 
that  he  went  for  weeks  without  seeing  even 
the  face  of  a  white  man,  except  one  rnan 
who  accidentally  rode  into  their  camp  in 
crossing  the  prairie.  This  honey  was  also  a 
source  of  revenue  for  the  people,  as  they 
could  obtain  for  beeswax  in  the  market  25 
cents  a  pound  and  a  fair  price  for  the  honey. 
It  was  more  difficult  for  them  to  secure 
l>readstuff  th:m  meat ;  while  the  settler  was 
able  to  raise  his  corn  and  in  some  instances 
wheat,  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  it  ground 
and  ready  for  bread ;  it  is  said  that  in  many 


instances  they  used  a  mortar  for  powdering 
the  grain  so  as  to  make  it  fit  for  bread;  at 
other  times  they  boiled  the  corn  and  grated 
it  into  meal  on  an  improvised  tin  grate. 
Corn  bread  was  not  a  luxury  in  those  days, 
but  was  the  staple  bread  of  the  early  set- 
tler. 

Later,  mills  were  located  principally  for 
grinding  corn,  btit  in  most  instances  they 
were  a  long  way  from  the  settler,  and  being 
practically  "destitute  of  wagons  or  other  ve- 
hicles of  conveyance,  it  was  very  difficult  to 
secure  a  grinding  of  the  corn,  and  often 
two  or  three  days  would  be  consumed  in 
getting  to  mill,  and  when  there  they  had  to 
take  their  turn,  but  the  sturdy  miller  always 
took  out  his  toll,  which  at  times  seemed  ex- 
orbitant, yet,  under  the  circumstances,  was 
probably  not  unreasonable. 

Mr.  J.  P.  Walker  informs  me  tha,t  in 
1847  tl"^^  whole  neighborhood  in  which  he 
lived  was  without  bread  along  in  the  spring 
of  the  year ;  in  fact  it  had  been  a  wet,  muddy 
winter  and  it  was  impossible  for  the  people 
to  have  any  grinding  done;  in  many  in- 
stances the  families  had  subsisted  upon  such 
corn  meal  as  they  were  able  to  obtain  from 
boiling  and  grating  the  corn;  that  in  March, 
he  in  company  with  another  neighbor  went  a 
distance  of  22  miles  to  a  horsemill  owned 
by  Lipe  in  Montgomery  county  where  they 
obtained  the  grinding  of  two  or  three  sacks 
of  corn  to  supply  the  neighborhood;  when 
they  returned,  half  of  it  was  loaned  in  less 
than   24  hoMrs. 

It  is  also  related  that  Jesse  Hinkle  went  to 
old  man  Traylor's  over  on  Bear  Creek  about 
the  same  time  to  borrow  some  meal  and  Mrs. 
Traylor  said  to  him,  "We  are  out,  and  have 
been  grating  corn  for  three  wrecks,"  and 
Ilinkle  replied,  "Thank  God,  we  arc  all 
alike." 

While  the  trip  of  going  to  mill  was  a  long 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


63 


one  and  in  many  instances  attended  with 
hardships,  yet  in  many  cases  it  was  an  en- 
joyable affair,  as  the  settler  could  there  meet 
with  his  friends  from  the  other  parts  of  the 
country  and  learn  what  they  were  doing- 
in  that  section,  for  it  must  be  remembered 
that  it  took  news  a  long  time  to  travel 
about  the  circuit  of  even  as  small  a  locality 
as  Christian  county  in  those  days. 

From  information  obtained  from  Mr. 
Walker,  one  of  the  first  mills  built  in  this 
county  was  erected  in  about  the  year  1842 
by  Jesse  Elgan  on  South  Fork,  near  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Ralston  Bridge,  and 
what  was  generally  known  as  the  Elgan  set- 
tlement ;  this  was  a  water  mill,  and  built  for 
grinding  wheat,  corn  and  sawing  lumber. 
Levi  Henkle  built  the  next  mill  near 
where  Willowford  Bridge  is  now,  but  the 
exact  date  the  mill  was  built  is  not  known, 
but  erected  prior  to  1846. 

Dr.  Goiidy  also  built  a  mill  in  the  south- 
west part  of  Taylorville  in  1850.  At  an 
early  day,  the  people  of  the  northern  part 
of  the  county  went  to  what  was  known  as 
the  Archer  mill  just  across  the  line  in  San- 
gamon county,  and  on  the  north  fork  of 
the  Sangamon  River.  We.  are  also  inform.ed 
that  in  other  places  there  were  constructed 
what  is  known  as  horse  or  cog  mills  built 
of  wooden  rollers  with  wooden  cogs,  and 
so  constructed  as  to  be  operated  by  means 
of  levers  to  which  horses  were  attached. 

This  was  of  course  all  in  a  rude  form,  but 
was  very  acceptable  to  the  people  of  that 
day;  it  supplied  them  with  bread. 

While  it  is  true  that  these  mills  were  very 
rudely  constructed  and  of  limited  capacity, 
thev  were  sufficient,  however,  for  the  time, 
and  essential  in  sustaining  life  while  the 
settler  strove  to  improve  his  home. 

The  demand  for  these  mills  was  so  great, 
that  in  a  comparatively  short  time  they  were 


constructed  in  the  different  localities  all  over 
the  country,  and  some  of  them  were  con- 
structed earlier  than  some  of  the  mills  men- 
tioned above,  so  that  in  time  it  became  much 
more  convenient  for  the  settler  to  obtain  his 
grinding  and  his  lumber. 

The  more  difficult  problem,  however,  was 
that  of  marketing  the  products  raised  and 
purchasing   supplies    for   the   family.     The 
people  of  this  locality  usually  in  the  early 
(lay  marketed  their  products  at  St.  Louis; 
after  hauling  their  wheat  that  distance,  were 
only  able  to  procure  from  40  to  45   cents 
a  bushel  for  it,  and  usually  could  haul  not  to 
exceed  25  to  30  bushels  at  a  time;  there  were 
regular  stopping  places  on  the  road,  but  most 
generally  the  farmer  would  camp  out  during 
this  trip.    The  expense  of  the  trip  was  com- 
paratively  light;   it   required   many,    some- 
times 7  or  8,  days  to  make  it,  but  he  would 
usually  return   with  groceries,  tobacco  and 
not  unfrequently  with  a  little  Old  Bourbon 
as  that  was  one  of  the  necessaries  of  those 
days  to  cure  snake  bites,  and  most  every- 
body used  a  little  of  the  cure.     Hogs  were 
driven  to  the  same  market  and  hog  driving 
time  was  always  regarded  as  a  holiday  occa- 
sion ;  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  would 
bunch  their  hogs,  drive  them  to  St,  Louis, 
and  then  realize  only  from  ^2  to  $2.50  per 
cwt.  after  they  were  dressed — but  the  drivers 
had  a  good  time;  told  of  the  fine  country 
they  lived  in  and  many  interesting  stories 
incident  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  coun- 
try.    Some  of  them  even  told  Indian  stories 
and  their  narrow  escapes  from  scalping;  it 
all  had  a  kind  of  wild,  romantic  atmosphere 
that,  notwithstanding  its  perils,  was  exciting 
and  being  of  that  adventurous  cast,  was  very 
alluring,  but  wherever  the  lot  of  the  early 
settler  was  cast,  you  always  found  that  free 
hearted    hospitality  that    comes    to    people 
who  are  depending  one  upon  the  other  and 


64: 


PAST  AXl)   PRESENT 


forsakes  them  when  tliey  reach  a  point  or 
station  in  hfe  in  which  thc\-  feel  that  they 
are  independent. 

The  want  of  conveyances,  the  compara- 
ti\e  isohition  of  the  people,  the  necessity  of 
depending"  npon  your  neis^hhor  to  a  great 
extent  :  the  common  moti\e  of  securing  a 
home,  that  inchiced  this  people  to  take  u]) 
their  ahode  in  tlic  wilderness,  were  all  ele- 
ments that  educated  them  in  the  line  of 
free  hearted,  unselfish  citizens,  the  same  as 
the  elements  of  ])lenty  and  the  ability  to 
puixhase  whatever  you  desire,  the  want  of 
a  comuKJU  motive,  except  to  see  who  can 
get  rich  the  quickest  are  educators  of  selfish- 
ness and  greed  that  exist  to  such  an  extent 
with  the  people  of  today.  On  the  one 
hand,  we  have  the  warm,  open-hearted,  un- 
selfish pioneer,  who  li\ed  not  for  himself 
alone,  but  for  his  neighbors  as  well  and 
was  ready  at  all  times  to  make  any  sacri- 
fice to  benefit  his  neighbor,  and  it  seems 
to  liaxe  been  an  unwritten  law  with  these 
people  that  they  w^ere  honest  w'ith  one  an- 
other ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  citizen  of  to- 
day is  selfish,  unwilling  to  accommodate  a 
neighbor;  unable  to  appreciate  a  friend's 
distress  and  his  actions  in  life  are  promoted 
largely  Ijy  greed,  and  the  more  congested 
the  population  the  greater  seems  to  be  this 
characteristic  in  the  human  family. 

The  fame  of  the  fertile  prairie  of  Illi- 
nois had  reached  even  to  the  state  of  Con- 
necticut, and  as  early  as  1836  a  band  of 
people  sent  Rev.  Gideon  B.  Perry  and 
Thomas  H.  Hewitt  to  Illinois  to  prospect, 
locate  and  enter  a  large  lx)dy  of  desirable 
land.  It  is  said  these  representatives  trav- 
eled over  most  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
state,  as  well  as  Christian  county,  and 
finally  decided  to  locate  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  this  county,  on  the  west  side  of 
Flat   Branch.      They   entered    10,000  acres 


of  land,  which  was  dixidcd  and  allotted  by 
auction  among  the  members  oi  the  colony 
in   North   Stonington,   Conn. 

Some  of  these  colonists  came  in  the  year 
1837.  and  others  in  llie  year  1838.  but 
before  leaving  home  they  had  selected  their 
location  and  determined  ui:)on  laying  out 
a  site  for  a  city  upon  the  lands  entered,  and 
also  upon  the  erection  of  some  public  build- 
ings. The  principal  persons  composing  this 
colony  were  Thomas  P.  Chapman,  Nicholas 
Sanders,  William  S.  Frink,  Benj.  F.  Chap- 
man, Gideon  Wilber,  Elija  Palmer,  Allen 
P.  Peabody.  Frederick  Fitch,  Wm.  S.  Pea- 
body,  Rev.  A.  Ackley.  Elias  S.  Peabody, 
Amos  Peabody,  Thomas  Skiff,  Thomas 
Millard,  Samuel  Peabody.  Samuel  N.  Pea- 
body, Paris  Pray,  Horace  Morgan,  John 
D.  Brown,  Deacon  Smith,  John  P.  Will- 
iams, Andrew  B.  Chapman  and  C.  Tyler 
Chapman. 

Immediately  upcjn  their  arrival  they  began 
the  work  of  building  their  homes;  a  large 
six-room  house  was  built  by  the  company 
as  the  w  riter  is  informed,  in  which  Thomas 
B.  Chapman  resided. 

The  gatherings  of  the  colony  were  held 
in  this  house ;  this  was  the  \i\ace  where  they 
assembled  for  a  long  time  for  public  wor- 
ship. This  house  or  home  w^as  the  centre 
to  which  all  of  the  colonists  in  that  locality 
were  attracted;  160  acres  of  land  entered 
by  this  colony  was  appropriated,  before  di- 
vision, for  the  founding  of  a  city,  to  be 
called  "Stonington  City."  It  w\as  surveyed 
and  platted  in  lots  and  blocks,  under  the 
direction  of  Gideon  B.  Perry,  "chairman 
of  the  executive  committee  of  Stonington" 
colony.  It  contained  a  public  square,  park, 
42  blocks  and  504  lots,  with  many  streets, 
and  is  recorded  on  l)age  390  of  book  47 
in  the  recorder's  office  of  Christian  county. 
This  is  a  transcribed  record. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


65 


This  city  never  materialized ;  the  lots  were 
used  for  agricultural  i)urposes  and  after- 
ward the  plat  was  vacated  and  the  land 
disposed  of  as  a  farm. 

A  charter  was  secured  for  the  founding 
of  a  school,  to  be  known  as  "Brush  Col- 
lege," which  was  never  founded.  They 
did,  however,  provide  for  good  schools  in 
that  localitv,  and  because  of  the  number 
of  people  that  came  together  they  had  many 
advantages  that  did  not  come  to  the  settlers 
who  came  single  handed  or  in  smaller 
numbers.  The  large  house  spoken  of  above 
is  remembered  by  many  of  the  children  that 
were  born  in  Christian  county  belonging 
-to  that  colony.  They  say  it  was  a  place  to 
which  they  would  all  go  for  pleasure,  re- 
ligious service  and  pul)lic  meetings  gener- 
ally. It  sat  upon  a  high  knoll,  and  in  the 
early  days,  when  occupied  l)y  Mr.  Chap- 
man, was  a  guiding  star  to  those  who  trav- 
eled  across   the  prairies. 

Springfield  was  the  point  to  which  these 
people  mostly  went  to  do  their  trading  and 
frecjuently  upon  their  return  it  would  be 
after  night  before  they  reached  their  homes 
— when  it  was  known  that  any  of  the  people 
of  the  colony  had  gone  to  Springfield  or 
elsewhere,  Mrs.  Chapman,  commonly  known 
as  "Aunt  Martha,"  would  place  a  light  in 
the  window  to  serve  as  a  guiding  star  for 
those  who  were  trying  to  cross  the  prairie. 
It  was  very  difficult  to  keep  3^our  course 
in  traveling  across  the  prairie  after  night, 
and  the  light  in  the  window  kept  by  this 
old  lady  was  to  the  traveler  upon  the  prairie 
what  the  lighthouse  is  to  the  mariner  upon 
the  sea. 

Paris  Pray  and  B.  F.  Chapman  resided 
on  the  opposite  side  of  Brushy  Branch,  and 
had  to  cross  this  branch  to  reach  this  home 
in  the  colony :  they  were  great  church  goers, 
and   in  times  of  high  water  the  only  way 


which  the  Ijrancii  C(juld  be  crossed  was  by 
canoe,  so  they  prepared,  from  a  hollow  log, 
a  canoe,  that  was  kept  for  use  on  all  occa- 
sions ;  Chapman  and  Pray  used  to  cross  this 
creek  in  this  canoe,  and  it  is  said  that  Chap- 
man was  a  large  man  and  somewhat  awk- 
^var(l,  and  Pray  used  to  make  him  lie  down 
in  the  canoe  and  keep  still  for  fear  he  would 
tip  it  o\'er,  while  Pray  would  row  across. 

No  doubt  the  peo])le  of  this  colony  had 
many  good  times  and  they  had  the  correct 
idea  of  the  early  settlement  of  a  new  coun- 
try. The  committee  who  selected  the  lands 
for  this  colony  acted  judiciously,  as  these 
are  today  among  the  most  valuable  lands 
of  Christian  county,  and  many  of  them  are 
occupied  at  the  present  time  by  the  de- 
scendants of  these   colonists. 

The  peo])Ie  composing  this  colony  were 
thrifty,  energetic  and  law-abiding  citizens. 
They  were  of  a  religious  character,  and  ob- 
served the  law^s  of  God  and  their  duties  as 
Christians  with  as  much  scrupulousness  in 
the  wild  west  as  they  did  in  their  old  stead- 
fast home  in  Stonington,  Conn. 

This  colony  was  a  blessing  to  Christian 
county,  and  aided  very  much  in  building  it 
up,  and  in  inculcating  a  spirit  of  fairness 
and  a  due  observance  of  the  laws ;  many  of 
the  important  offices  of  the  county  have 
from  time  to  time  been  occupied  by  mem- 
bers of  this  colony. 

From  the  best  information  that  the  writer 
can  •obtain,  a  general  settlement  of  the 
prairie  land  did  not  begin  until  after  the 
building  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
and  of  the  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Railroad 
(now  the  Big  Four),  and  Mr.  Walker  in- 
forms me  that  even  as  late  as  1854  that 
there  was  no  settlement  between  his  home, 
then  in  the  south  part  of  Johnson  township 
and  Robinson  creek  in  Shelby  county,  ex- 
cept one  place  owned  by  Lane,  afterwards 


G6 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


known  as  the  McCoy  farm ;  that  tlie  towns 
of  I'ana  and  Rosemond  were  not  then  in  ex- 
istence; it  was  about  this  time  that  the 
prairies  began  to  be  settled. 

The  town  of  Pana  w^as  first  laid  out  and 
settlement  commenced  in  about  the  year 
1855,  and  the  postol^ce  for  that  locality  that 
had  been  located  near  Stone  Coal  was  then 
removed  to  Pana,  and  shortly  after,  in 
about  the  year  1856  or  1857,  the  town  of 
Pana  was  incorporated,  which  is  now  a 
prosperous  city.  Prior  to  1856,  the  only 
families  then  living  in  Rosemond  towm- 
ship,  were  those  of  Reed,  Wolf  and 
Blackburn,  then  li\ing  in  or  near  Bell's 
Grove.  In  1856  the  colony  from  Massa- 
chusetts, composed  of  Benjamin  Hawley, 
O.  M.  Hawks,  Brainard  Smith,  Mr.  Mar- 
vin, Benjamin  Warner  and  John  Putnam, 
came  to  this  county  and  purchased  a  tract 
of  about  2,000  acres  of  land  in  Rose- 
mond township,  and  named  the  town  Rose- 
mond. The  five  houses  for  these  families 
were  framed  in  St.  Louis  and  all  alike,  and 
were  brought  across  the  river  on  the  ice  and 
shipped  out  on  the  Alton  &  Terre  Haute 
road  on  the  first  train  that  came  to  Rose- 
mond. 

These  houses  w'ere  erected  near  the  village 
now^  called  Rosemond ;  the  name  of  Rose- 
mond was  selected  by  this  colony  before 
they  left  Massachusetts.  The  first  Sunday 
after  arriving  in  the  village,  these  families 
organized  a  Sunday  school  and  held  public 
worship,  the  Congregational  church  was 
organized  there  in  the  summer  of  1856;  set- 
tlements at  about  this  time  liegan  to  spring 
up  along  the  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Rail- 
road and  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad ; 
with  the  coming  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road a  colony  of  French  settled  near  what 
is  now  known  as  the  village  of  Assump- 
tion, and  the  town  was  then  called  Tacusah. 


The  other  railroads  traversing  the  county 
were  not  located  until  much  later,  and  the 
towais  on  these  roads  sprung  up  after  1868. 

The  credit  for  the  early  settlers  of  this 
county  is  not  due  to  the  man  alone,  but 
the  woman  of  that  day  was  equally  as  cour- 
ageous, and  is,  perhaps,  entitled  to  even 
more  credit,  the  man  could  relieve  the 
monotony  of  the  routine  work  by  the  many 
excursions  to  mill  and  to  market,  but  the 
wife  and  daughter  were  compelled  to  re- 
main at  home  and  in  practical  solitude  dur- 
ing these  days  of  anxiety ;  the  husband 
raised  the  sheep  and  flax,  the  wife  carded 
and  spun  the  \vool  and  spun  the  cotton,  and 
wove  it  into  linsey  for  dresses  for  them- 
selves and  into  jeans  and  made  out  of  that 
raiment  for  the  husband. 

"Every  house  contained  a  carding,  loom 
and  spinning  wheel,  which  were  considered 
by  the  women  as  necessary  for  them  as  the 
rifle  for  the  men.  The  loom  in  use  was  a 
rudely-constructed  one,  consisting  of  two 
pieces  of  scantling  running  obliquely  from 
the  floor  to  the  wall ;  later,  the  frame  loom 
came  into  use  and  was  a  great  improve- 
ment." It  is  said  that  the  rattling  of  the 
loom,  the  whirr  and  buzz  of  the  spinning 
wheel  and  the  song  of  the  maid  at  the  wheel 
w^ere  among  the  delights  of  the  household, 
and  the  w^omen  were  proud  of  their  ability 
to  perform  this  work  and  the  amount  they 
could  do  and  the  i)erfection  of  the  cloth 
that  they  could  make  by  these  processes. 
It  is  also  said  thai  in  many  instances  w^hen 
the  men  w^ould  gather  together  for  the  pur- 
poses of  having  a  log-rolling  or  house- 
building or  corn-husking  or  occasions  of 
that  character,  the  women  also  assembled 
with  their  spinning  wheels  and  that  the 
music  of  the  many  spinning  wheels  was  de- 
lightful to  listen  to. 

They  had  no  stoves  upon  which  to   do 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


their  cooking;  that  was  done  before  the  fire- 
place, and  usually  the  Johnny  cake  and  other 
species  of  corn  bread  were  served  up  for  din- 
ner while  mush  and  milk  was  the  favorite 
dish  for  supper;  in  the  fireplace  hung  the 
crane;  the  Dutch  oven  was  used  in  baking. 
The  streams  abounded  in  fish,  which  formed 
a  healthful   article   of    food;    many   kinds 
of   greens,    such    as    dock    and    polk,    were 
eaten.      The    truck    patch    furnished    roast- 
ing   ears,    pumpkins,    beans,    squashes   and 
potatoes,  and  these  were  used  by  all.     For 
reaping-bees,     log-rollings,     house-raisings, 
the  standing  dish  was  pot  pie;  coffee  and 
tea  were  used  sparingly,  as  they  were  very 
dear  and  the  hardy  pioneer  thought  them 
a   drink  fit  only  for  women   and   children. 
They  said  it  would  not  "stick  to  the  ribs," 
but  you  talk  to  an  old  settler  today  and  he 
will   tell   you   that  the  bread  baked   in  the 
old  fireplace  in  the  old  fashioned  way  was 
the  best  bread   lie   ever   ate;   that   nothing 
equalled  it.     In  those  days  many  wild  fruits 
o-rew  in  the  timbers  and  berries  which  were 
gathered    and    prepared    by    the   housewife 
and   every  effort   made   upon   her   part     to 
make  the^  meals  palatable,  and  indeed  they 
were  palatable  and  healthful.     There  being 
no  church  house  or  regular  services  of  any 
kind   to   call   the  people  together,   they   no 
doubt    "cheerfully    accepted     invitations   to 
house-raisings,    log-rollings,    corn-huskings 
or  a  bee  of  any  kind ;  to  attend  these  gath- 
erings,  they  would   go  ten  and  sometimes 
more  miles.     Generally  with  the  invitation 
to  the  men  went  one  to  the  women  to  come 
to  a  quilting ;  the  good  woman  of  the  house 
where  the  festivities  were  to  take  place  would 
be  busily   engaged    for  a   day   or  more    in 
preparation  for  the  coming  guests.     Great 
quantities'of  provisions  were  necessary,  as 
dyspepsia  was  unknown  to  the  pioneer,  and 

5 


good   appetites  were   the   rule  and   not   the 
exception." 

"The  bread  used  at  these  frolics  was  baked 
generally  on  Johnny  or  Journey  cake  boards, 
and  is  the  best  corn  bread  ever  made.  The 
board  is  made  smooth,  about  two  feet  long 
and  eight  inches  wide;  the  ends  are  gen- 
erally rounded.  The  dough  is  spread  out 
on  this  board  and  placed  leaning  before 
the  fire;  one  side  is  baked  and  then  the 
dous:h  is  changed  on  the  board  so  the  other 
side  is  presented  in  its  turn  to  the  fire.  This 
is  Johnny  cake,  anct\is  good  if  the  proper 
it-omaterials  are  put  into  it  and  it  is  properly 
baked." 

Reynolds'  History. 

"At  all  log-rollings  and  house-raisings, 
it  was  customary  to  provide  liquor;  ex- 
cesses were  not  indulged  in,  however.  The 
fiddler  was  never  forgotten.  After  the 
day's  work  had  been  accomplished  out 
doors,  and  in,  by  men  and  women,  the 
floor  was  cleared  and  the  merry  dance 
began.  The  handsome,  stalwart  young  men 
whose  fine  forms  were  the  result  of  their 
manly  out-door  life,  clad  in  fringed  buck- 
skin breeches  and  gaudily-colored  hunting 
shirts  led  forth  the  bright-eyed,  buxom 
damsels,  attired  in  neatly-fitting  linsey 
woolsey  garments  to  the  dance,  their  cheeks 
glowing  with  health  and  eyes  sparkling  of 
enjoyment,  and  perhaps  of  a  tenderer  emo- 
tion." 

Log-rollings,  house-raisings  and  corn- 
huskings  are  not  entirely  out  of  the  memory 
of  persons  living  at  the  present  day;  many 
of  the  older  inhabitants  remember  well  oc- 
casions of  the  character  of  these,  and  that 
they  were  very  enjoyable  affairs.  The  amuse- 
ments were  simple,  but  pleasant,  and  af- 
forded a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to  those 
who  participated  therein. 


68 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


A  good  description  is  given  of  a  corn- 
shucking  of  the  olden  time  in  Reynolds' 
Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,  in  the  following 
language : 

"In  pure  pioneer  times  the  crops  of  corn 
were  ne\er  husked  on  the  stalk,  as  is  done 
at  this  da}',  hut  were  hauled  home  in  the 
husk  and  thrown  in  a  heap,  generally  l)y 
the  side  of  the  crih,  so  that  the  ears,  when 
husked,  could  l)e  thrown  direct  into  the  crih. 
The  whole  neighlx)rhood,  male  and  female, 
were  invited  to  the  shucking,  as  it  was  called. 
The  girls,  and  many  of  the  married  ladies, 
generally  engaged  in  this  amusing  work. 

"In  the  first  place  two  leading  expert  husk- 
ers  were  chosen  as  captains,  and  the  heap  of 
corn  divided  as  nearly  equal  as  possihle. 
Rails  were  laid  across  the  pile  so  as  to  desig- 
nate the  division,  and  then  each  captain 
chose,  alternately,  his  corps  of  huskers,  male 
and  female.  The  whole  numher  of  working 
hands  present  were  selected,  on  one  side  or 
the  other,  and  then  each  party  commenced 
a  contest  to  heat  the  other,  which  was  in 
many  cases  truly  exciting.  One  other  rule 
w^as,  that  whene^•er  a  male  husked  a  red  ear 
of  corn  he  was  entitled  to  a  kiss  from  the 
girls.  This  frequently  excited  much  fuss  and 
scuffling,  which  was  intended  by  both  parties 
to  end  in  a  kiss.  Tt  was  a  universal  practice 
that  taffia  or  Monongahela  wliisky  was  used 
at  these  husking  frolics,  which  they  drank 
out  of  a  bottle,  each  one,  male  and  female, 
taking  the  l)ottle  and  drinking  out  of  it.  and 
then  handing  it  to  his  next  neighl)or.  without 
using  any  glass  or  cup  whatever.  The  cus- 
tom was  common,  and  not  considered  rude. 
Almost  always  these  corn-shucks  ended  in 
a  dance.  To  prepare  for  this  amusement 
fiddles  and  fiddlers  were  in  great  demand; 
and  it  often  required  much  fast  riding  to 
f)btain  them.     One  violin  and  a  performer 


were  all  that  was  contemplated  at  these  in- 
nocent rural  games. 

"Towards  dark,  and  the  supper  half  over, 
then  it  was  that  a  bustle  and  confusion  com- 
menced. The  confusion  of  tongues  at  Babel 
would  have  been  ashamed  at  the  corn-shuck- 
ings.  The  young  ones  hurrying  off  the  table, 
ancl  the  old  ones  contending  for  time  and 
(jrder.  It  was  the  case  nine  times  out  of 
ten,  that  hut  one  dwelling  house  was  on  the 
premises,  and  that  used  for  eating  as  well 
as  dancing. 

But  when  the  fiddler  commenced  tuning 
his  instrument  the  music  always  gained  the 
\ictory  for  the  young  side.  Then  the  dishes, 
\ictuals.  table  and  all.  disappeared  in  a  few 
n.iinutes.  and  the  room  was  cleared,  the  dogs 
drixen  out,  and  the  floor  swept  off  ready 
for  action.  The  floors  of  these  houses  were 
sometimes  the  natural  earth,  beat  solid, 
sometimes  the  earth  with  puncheons  in  the 
middle  over  the  potato-hole,  and  at  times 
the  whole  floor  was  made  of  puncheons. 

The  music  at  these  country  dances  made 
the  young  folks  almost  frantic,  and  some- 
times much  excitement  was  displayed  to  get 
on  the  floor  first.  Generally  the  fiddler  on 
these  occasions  assumed  an  important  bear- 
ing and  ordered,  in  true  professional  style, 
so  and  so  to  be  done;  as  that  was  the  w'ay 
in  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  raised. 
The  decision  ended  the  contest  for  the  floor. 
In  those  da}-s  they  danced  jigs  and  four- 
handed  reels,  as  they  were  called.  Some- 
times three-handed  reels  were  also  danced. 

In  these  dances  there  was  no  .standing  still 
• — all  were  moxing  at  a  rapid  pace  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end.  In  the  jigs  the  by- 
standers cut  one  another  out.  as  it  was  called, 
so  that  this  dance  would  last  for  hours. 
Sometimes  the  parties  in  the  jig  tried  to  tire 
(^ne  another  down  in  the  dance,  .and  then  it 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


69 


would  also  last  a  long  time  before  one  or  the 
other  gave  up. 

The  cotillion  or  stand-still  dances  were  not 
then  known.  The  bottle  went  around  at 
these  parties  as  it  did  at  the  shuckings  and 
male  and  female  took  a  dram  out  of  it  as 
it  passed  around.  No  sitting  was  indulged 
in,  and  the  folks  either  stood  or  danced  all 
night,  as  generally  daylight  ended  the  frolic. 
The  dress  of  these  hardy  pioneers  was  gen- 
erally in  plain  homespun.  The  hunting 
shirt  was  much  worn  at  that  time,  which 
is  a  convenient  working  or  dancing  dress 
Sometimes  dressed  deer-skin  pantaloons 
were  used  on  these  occasions,  and  moccasins 
— rarely  shoes — and  at  times  bare  feet,  were 
indulged  in. 

In  the  morning  all  go  home  on  horseback 
or  on  foot.  No  carriages,  wagons  or  other 
vehicles  w-ere  used  on  such  occasions,  for 
the  best  of  reasons — because  they  had  none. 

Dancing  was  a  favorite  amusement  and 
was  participated  in  by  all. 

"Alike  all  ages;  dancers  of  ancient  days. 

Have  led  their  children  through  the  mirthful 
maze, 

And  the  gray  grandsire,  skilled  in  gestic 
lore. 

Has  frisked  beneath  the  burden  of  three- 
score." 

There  were  many  other  amusements  in- 
dulged in  by  the  settlers  of  that  day,  and 
while  it  is  said  that  they  were  more  athletic 
and  rude  than  those  of  today,  they  certainly 
had  the  virtue  of  being  as  innocent  as  the 
amusements  of  today,  and  w-ere  not  suscepti- 
ble of  being  called  demoralizing. 

"Among  settlers  in  a  new  country,  from 
the  very  nature  of  the  case,  a  higher  value 
is  set  upon  physical  than  mental  endow- 
ments. Skill  in  woodcraft,  superiority  of 
muscular  development,  accuracy  in  shooting 
with  the    rifle,  activity,  swiftness    of    foot. 


were   the   qualifications   that   brought   their 
possessor     fame.       Foot-racing    was    often 
practiced,  and  often  the  boys  and  young  men 
engaged  in  friendly  contests  wath  the  Indi- 
ans.    Every  man  had  a  rifle,  always  kept  in 
good  order ;  his  flints,  bullet  moulds,  screw- 
driver,   awl,    butcherknife    and    tomahawk 
were  fastened  to  the  shot-pouch  strap  or  to 
the  belt  around  the  waist.     Target  shooting 
was  much  practiced,  and  shots  were  made 
l)v   the  hunters  and  settlers  with   flint-lock 
rifles  that  cannot  be  excelled  by  their  de- 
scendants with  the  improved  breechloaders 
of   the    present    day.       At    all   gatherings, 
jumping    and    wrestling    were    indulged    in 
and  those  who  excelled  were  thenceforward 
men  of  notoriety.     Cards,  dice    and    other 
gambling  implements  w^ere  unknown.   Danc- 
ing was  a  favorite  amusement.     It  was  par- 
ticipated in  by  all.    At  the  shooting  matches 
which  were  usually  for  the  prize  of  a  turkey 
or  a  gallon  of  whisky,  good  feeling  gener- 
ally prevailed.     If  disputes  arose  they  were 
settled  often  by  a  square  stand-up  fight,  and 
no  one  thought  of  using  other  weapons  than 
fists.    They  held  no  grudges  after  their  fight, 
for   this   was   considered    unmanly ;    it   was 
the   rule   that    if  a   fight   occurred   between 
two  persons   the  victor  should  pour  water 
for   the   defeated   as   he   washed   away   the 
traces  of  the  fray,  after  which  the  latter  was 
to  perform  the  same  service  for  the  former. 
The  early  settler  that  became  a  permanent 
fixture  or  attachment  to  this  county  was  of 
a  peculiar  type.     As  before  explained,  some 
of  these  localities  were  settled  by  colonists, 
others  by  neighborhoods  coming  from  the 
same  locality  in  other  states,  and  with  these 
they  brought  many  of  the  customs  of  the 
particular   locality   from   which   they   came. 
Some  of  them  were  fond  of  hunting,  others 
of  horse-racing.    I  am  told  that  in  an  earlier 
day  the  horse-racing  gatherings  were  great 


70 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


occasions,  that  people  would  come  from  all 
parts  of  the  county  to  a  horse-race,  and  much 
time,  money  and  energy  were  spent  upon 
this  class  of  amusement,  hut  with  the  men 
fond  of  horsc-racmg  and  other  amusements 
came  also  the  church-goer,  and  those  who 
delighted  in  assemhling  for  religious  wor- 
ship. True,  they  had  no  church  houses,  but 
the  home  of  the  Christian  settler  was  readily 
converted  into  a  place  of  religious  worship, 
and  his  larder  not  un frequently  supplied  the 
attendants  on  such  occasions.  The  Sabbath 
dav  was  duly  observed  by  many  of  these 
peojile,  and  the  man  of  God.  with  his  bible 
in  his  hand,  was  an  instrument  for  doing 
good,  and  in  fact  did  much  in  the  education 
and  training  of  the  young. 

We  can  refer  to  two  men  of  central  Illi- 
nois, who  were  typical  preachers  of  that 
day :  Peter  Cartwright  and  Aaron  Vande- 
veer — and  while  they  differed  much  in  their 
habits  and  type,  yet  they  were  both  strong- 
minded,  fearless  ministers,  and  went  about 
doing  much  good,  with  but  little  remunera- 
tion. 

Vandeveer  was  a  resident  of  this  county, 
Cartwright  of  Sangamon,  and  these  men 
more  than  once  i)ut  to  shame  and  routed 
"the  common  bully."  who  prided  himself  in 
Ijeing  a  terror  to  the  community  in  which 
he  lived  :  while  the  ministers,  of  which  these 
mentioned  were  two  types,  were  not  highly 
educated,  yet  they  were  men  of  good  sense, 
sound  judgment,  with  a  deep-rooted  con- 
viction of  right  from  wrong,  and  just  such 
men  as  were  needed  for  the  building  of 
this  county;  too  much  cannot  be  said  in 
praise  of  the  early  settler  who  revered  the 
laws  of  God.  and  sought  to  do  unto  others 
as  he  would  they  should  do  unto  him. 

Tt  is  said  that  the  Rev.  Aaron  Vandeveer 
and  the  Rev.  Peter  Cartwright  had  often 
heard  of  one  another,   but  had   never  met. 


Tt  was  customary  in  those  days  to  travel  on 
h(irse-back.  and  almost  every  person  had  a 
pair  of  saddlebags  that  he  threw  on  the  back 
(if  his  saddle.  As  they  were  riding  along 
in  the  same  direction,  Cartwright  overtook 
Vandeveer;  they  conversed  for  some  time; 
each  concluded  that  the  other  was  the  man 
be  wanted  to  see.  and  finally  Vandeveer 
turns  to  Cartwright  and  says  :  "I  would  take 
you,  sir,  to  be  a  Methodist  preacher."  "Ah." 
said  Cartwright,  "and  why?"  "Well,  from 
the  tone  of  your  conversation  and  the  white 
cravat  you  wear."  Without  making  any 
answer,  and  after  riding  n  little  further 
along,  Cartwright  says  to  Vandeveer :  "And 
I  would  take  you  to  be  a  Baptist  preacher." 
"And  wdiy?"  says  Vandeveer.  "Well,  from 
the  tone  of  your  conversation  and  the  bottle 
I  see  sticking  out  of  your  saddlebags."  It 
must  be  remembered  that  Vandeveer  was  a 
Baptist  preacher  of  the  old  persuasion,  and 
with  that  denomination  at  that  day  it  was 
not  uncommon  for  them  to  take  a  little  for 
the  stomach's  sake,  lint  did  not  use  it  to 
excess. 

The  lands  of  Christian  comity  were  not 
all  registered  for  entry  in  the  same  office. 
Some  of  them  were  registered  at  Spring- 
field, some  Edwardsville  and  some  Van- 
dalia  :  the  selecting  and  entering  of  the  better 
lands  by  the  earlier  settlers  and  speculators 
was  in  that  day  one  of  the  leading  business 
interests  of  this  locality,  and  was  to  some 
remunerative. 

The  records  of  the  county  disclose  that 
some  speculators  entered  thousands  of  acres, 
]nu"chased  at  a  very  low  price ;  it  often  hap- 
pened that  on  account  of  the  location,  beauty 
or  fertility  of  a  particular  tract  of  land  ob- 
served by  different  persons  at  about  the  same 
time,  that  great  racing  contests  were  had 
as  to  who  should  reach  the  land  office  first 
and  enter  that  tract  of  land,  something  sim- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


71 


ilar  to  the  contests  that  have  been  going  on 
in  the  territories  for  the  last  few  years, 
which  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
whole  world. 

An  amusing  incident  is  told  of  two  old 
settlers  near  Clarksdale,  W.  T,  Hewitt  and 
Y.  B.  Clark,  who  were  leading  citizens  in 
that  locality.  A  spirit  of  emulation,  if  not 
rivalry,  grew  up  between  these  men;  each 
of  them  desired  to  l)e  the  more  prominent, 
to  obtain  the  larger  landed  estate,  and  this 
at  times  led  each  of  them  to  oppose  the  other 
in  obtaining  what  he  desired ;  it  is  said  that 
there  was  a  nice  tract  of  land  located  near 
Clarksdale  that  Mr.  Hewitt  wanted  and  Mr 
Clark  also  desired  this  piece  of  land,  and 
by  some  means  he  had  learned  that  Mr 
Hewitt  was  icoing  the  next  day  to  the  land 
office  to  enter  it.  so  Mr.  Clark,  instead  of 
waiting  until  the  next  day,  started  that 
night,^  rode  all  night,  reaching  the  land  office 
early  in  the  morning  and  obtained  the  much 
coveted  prize.  They  were  both  hearty, 
strong-minded,  level-headed,  active  men, 
and  while  they  were  not  classed  among  the 
earlier  settlers,  they  came  here  at  a  day 
when  the  county  needed  such  men,  and  both 
did  a  great  deal  towards  the  advancement  of 
the  part  of  the  county  in  which  they  lived. 

The  wolves,  other  wild  game  and  malaria 
were  not  the  only  things  dreaded  by  the  early 
settler.  After  the  biting  frosts  had  killed 
the  prairie  grass,  then  there  was  nothing 
more  dreaded  than  the  prairie  fires ;  it  is  said 
by  some  of  those  who  witnessed  them  that, 
at  times  when  the  wind  blew  a  good  strong 
breeze,  the  fire  would  run  so  ''apidly  through 
the  prairie  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
persons  caught  out  in  the  midst  of  the 
prairie  to  escape  from  the  fire  by  running, 
even  on  horseback ;  much  property  was  fre- 
quently destroyed  and  sometimes  human  life 
by  these  great  prairie  fires,  people  Avho  had 


homes  that  were  in  possible  range  of  these 
fires  took  the  precaution  to  burn  a  large  strip 
of  grass  around  their  homes  to  prevent  their 
destruction.  Mr.  Goodrich  tells  me  that  the 
early  settler  in  attempting  to  cross  these 
prairies  always  went  prepared  to  protect 
himself  in  case  a  fire  should  break  out, 
and  if,  wdiile  traveling  along  in  the  midst 
of  a  large  scope  of  prairie  grass,  he  discov- 
ered fire  coming  towards  him,  he  would  1t€- 
gin  where  he  was  and  liurn  out  a  large 
scope  of  grass  and  then  when  the  fire  came 
up  would  protect  himself  by  standing  in 
the  midst  of  the  tract  that  he  had  burned 
off;  this  he  says  was  common  and  proved 
effectual. 

Major  Wm.  T.  Vandeveer  tells  me  that  at 
one  time  just  prior  to  the  civil  war  there 
was  but  one  Democrat  in  the  town  of  Rose- 
mond ;  his  name  w^as  Joshua  Peffer — they 
were  having  quite  a  hotly  contested  cam- 
]iaign  in  the  county.  The  Democrats  pre- 
dominated in  most  of  the  towns;  Vande- 
veer's  father  (who  was  then  an  officeholder 
of  the  county)  and  some  of  the  other  politi- 
cal leaders  concluded  that  they  would  have 
a  Democratic  rally  at  Rosemond  to  please 
Mr.  Peffer.  The  day  was  fixed  and  Wm. 
T.  Vandeveer  was  sent  by  his  father  all 
over  the  county  to  notify  the  people  of  the 
great  Democratic  rally  in  Rosemond.  The 
Democrats  from  all  parts  of  the  county 
gathered,  with  their  wagons  and  other  modes 
of  conveyances,  at  a  point  near  Rosemond, 
and  made  a  grand  parade,  and  had  a  big 
time,  and  while  they  failed  to  make  Rose- 
mond Democratic,  they  pleased  Mr.  Peffer 
with  their  efforts  upon  that  occasion,  but 
Major  Vandeveer  says  he  never  was  as  tired 
riding  horseback  in  his  life  as  when  through 
his  trip  over  the  county  gathering  the  peo- 
ple in,  and  did  not  care  to  repeat  the  effort 
to  make  Rosemond  Democratic. 


72 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


The  state  road,  which  passed  from  Tcrrc 
Haute  to  Spriiiiificld,  and  wliich  passed 
through  the  town  of  Mt.  Auhurn.  was  one 
of  the  great  thoroughfares  of  the  travelers 
from  the  states  east  of  Ilhnois  to  the  great 
west;  it  is  said  that  thousands  of  Mormons 
wlio  lirst  went  to  Nauvoo  and  afterwards 
to  Sah  Lake  City  passed  through  the  county 
at  an  early  day;  one  of  the  old  settlers  visit- 
ing Salt  Lake  City  a  few  years  ago  met 
while  there  many  people  who  had  stopped 
over  night  with  him  (Mr.  (loodrich)  and 
they  recalled  the  heauties  of  this  locality 
and  the  field  that  was  apparently  open  for 
prosperity  liere. 

They  failed,  however,  to  take  advantage 
of  the  great  opportunities  offered  to  them 
here — they  were  religious  enthusiasts  seek- 
ing a  kingdom  backed  by  Joseph  Smith  and 
his  apostles — and  to  live  a  life  in  conformity 
with  the  creeds  of  the  Mormon  church. 

At  the  organization  of  the  county  the  peo- 
ple voted  viva  voce;  this  plan  by  many  was 
considered  as  the  most  independent  one ; 
others  viewed  it  in  a  different  light;  if 
the  system  had  no  other  merit  it  certainly 
gave  a  controlling  influence  to  intriguing 
politicians;  with  the  admission  of  the  ballot 
system  their  power  was  dwarfed.  While  the 
ballot  system  of  that  day  may  have  been 
an  improvement,  under  the  old  mode  of  vot- 
ing, the  people  can  congratulate  themselves 
that  the  .Australian  ballot  system  of  the 
present  day  is  a  decided  improvement  over 
the  old  mode  of  balloting. 

The  voter  of  today  by  the  Australian 
ballot  can  absolutely  vote  as  he  chooses 
without  being  intimidated  by  any  person 
or  body,  and  when  the  system  of  voting 
machines  is  perfected,  which  is  being  done, 
.so  that  the  ballot  can  be  registered  as  de- 
posited, and  the  dishonest  and  unscrupulous 
"ward  heeler"  prevented  from  changing  the 


i)allot  after  (lc'i)osiled  in  the  1)0.\,  this  will 
be  an  additional  impro\-ement  upon  our  vot- 
ing system,  and  will  give  additional  faith 
and  credit  to  the  ballot  box.  Independence 
and  purity  of  the  ballot  should  be  encour- 
aged and  the  l)allot  box;  safely  guarded. 

The  pohtical  and  business  interests,  re- 
ligious and  moral  sentiments  of  the  people 
of  this  country  today  are  so  diversified  and 
so  many  different  interests  to  consult  the 
independent  voter  is  more  numerous  and 
the  difficulty  of  either  party  securing  an 
election  without  reference  to  the  qualifica- 
tions and  standing  of  the  candidate  is  be- 
coming more  and  more  hazardous,  but  it  is 
said  "in  this  county  at  that  early  day  there 
were  two^  large  family  connections  by  the 
name  of  Durbin  and  Young  that  composed 
a  large  part  of  the  voting  population ;  it 
was  not  an  uncommon  remark  that  as  these 
two  families  voted,  so  went  the  election. 

Politically,  they  were  in  sympathy  with 
each  other,  and  with  the  Whig  party.  Gal- 
\'in  Ralston,  a  old-line  Whig,  and  a  candi- 
date for  the  office  of  county  commissioner, 
being  interrogated  as  to  his  prospects  for 
election,  replied :  "Very  good,  as  both  the 
Durl)in  and  Young  wing  are  with  me  in  a 
solid  column."  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
say  he  was  elected. 

Daniel  Goode  and  Wm.  O.  Brents,  both 
old  .settlers  and  ])olitical  leaders,  exercised 
great   influence  over    the    political    parties. 

The  constitution  (jf  1848  substituted  the 
ballot  for  the  viva  voce  sy.stem.  This  worked 
well  .and  the  people  have  been  enabled  to 
vote  their  honest  convictions  without  being 
branded  as  tm-n-coats.  The  old  i)arties  were 
well  discii)lincd  and  very  powerful.  If  a 
member  of  either  broke  ranks  he  was  soon 
hounded  down. 

At  this  remote  day  it  is  difficult  to  se- 
cure  anecdotes  of   that  early  day,   because 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


73 


of  that  generation  having  all  passed  away 
and  for  the  reason  we  here  repeat  a  few  of 
the  anecdotes  and  incidents  given  by  Dr. 
Goudy  in  a  former  history  of  this  connty. 
and  while  we  have  not  deemed  it  necessary 
to  verify  these,  we  have  been  told  that  in 
most    instances    thev    actnallv    occnrred    as 


given. 


In  the  trials  before  the  jnstices  of  the 
peace  in  the  county  many  amusing  incidents 
and  anectodes  have  occurred. 

About  forty  years  ago,  in  the  region  of 
Bolivia,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  this 
county,  lived  one  John  S.  Thompson,  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  He  was  a  large,  stout, 
big-fisted  Kentuckian.  Sam  Smith  was 
lirought  before  him  on  a  charge  of  assault 
and  battery.  Sam  soon  liecame  boisterous 
and  began  to  abuse  the  justice.  Esquire  ad- 
monished him  to  keep  quiet,  but  all  to 
no  purpose.  Sam  grew  worse  and  worse, 
until  the  burly  esquire's  patience  was  ex- 
hausted. "Sam,"  said  the  esquire,  "I  know 
but  little  about  the  power  the  law  confers 
in  keeping  order  in  court,  but  1  know  very 
well  the  power  the  Almighty  has  given  me, 
and  so  shall  you."  Suiting  the  action  to 
his  words,  the  esquire  seized  a  chair  and 
sent  Sam  whirling  to  the  floor,  and  then 
at  the  end  of  his  boot  relieved  the  office  of 
his  presence.  Smith  then  went  before  an- 
other justice,  filed  an  affidavit  of  assault 
and  battery  and  had  Esquire  Thompson  ar- 
rested. The  defense  set  up  a  plea  that  the 
justice  was  a  relative  to  the  prosecutor, 
which  point  was  adjudged  well  taken,  and 
the  justice  entered  a  judgme'it  of  acquittal. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  decision.  Smith  filed 

another  affidavit  before  Esquire  C.  . 

Thompson  was  again  arre.sted  and  arraigned 
before  the  justice.  He  employed  counsel, 
who  moved  for  his  acquittal  on  the  ground 
that  he  "could  not  be  put  in  jeopardy  twice 


for  the  same  offence"  under  the  constitu- 
tion. The  esquire,  after  consulting  various 
evidences,  sustained  the  plea,  and  Esquire 
Thompson  was  again  triumphantly  acquit- 
ted. From  that  time  forward  there  was 
as  good  order  in  the  office  of  Esquire 
Thompson  as  in  the  supreme  court  room  of 
the  state  of  Illinois. 

In  another  case,  about  thirty-five  years 
ago,  in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  a 
suit  was  instituted  before  Esquire  John  R. 
against  John  W.  ,  then  re- 
siding within  three  miles  of  Hillsboro,  in 
Montgomery  county.  Summons  issued  to 
Constable  William  Torrance,  with  instruc- 
tions to  serve  the  same,  which  he  accord- 
ingly executed,  ancl  judgment  was  en- 
tered up  by  the  esc[uire  for  forty  dollars  and 
costs  of  suit. 

The  execution  was  issued  in  due  time  and 
Constable  Torrance,  who  again  entered 
Montgomery  county,  made  a  levy,  took  a 
delivery  bond  and  in  time  made  the  debt  and 
returned  the  execution  satisfied,  neither  party 
knowing  the  force  of  the  county  line  between 
them. 

It  was  told  the  writer  by  an  old  settler 
that  at  another  time  an  execution  was  is- 
sued and  delivered  to  a  constable  in  this 
county,  whose  name  he  did  not  know,  and 
the  constable  was  directed  to  levy  upon  a 
hunch  of  hogs  but  was  told  that  a  mere  pen 
and  ink  levy  was  not  sufficient ;  that  he  must 
actually  seize  the  property  and  do  such  acts 
as  would  constitute  a  trespass,  so^  the  consta- 
ble, with  the  writ  in  his  hand,  went  to  the 
pen,  lit  astride  a  hog,  took  out  his  execution 
and  says,  "Now,  Mr.  Hog,  I  levy  on  you," 
and  so  on,  until  he  struck  a  male  hog,  which 
showed  fight,  and  dangerous  to  catch,  so 
the  constable  took  out  his  execution  and 
said.  "Now,  Mr.  Hog,  d — n  you,  I  levy  on 
vou  at  a  distance." 


74 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


It  is  useless  to  say  that  this  levy  was  not 
questioned,  and  broui^iit  satisfaction  to  the 
execution. 

A  Pathetic  Spefxh  Spoiled. 

In   the  case  of  M ,   arraigned   for 

larceny,  his  lawyer,  from  Springfield,  a 
bombastic  speaker,  informed  his  client  that 
the  case  was  desperate,  and  that  he  must  be 
governed  strictly  by  his  directions.  Said 
he:  "My  speech  will  be  divided  into  four 
parts.  First,  historical ;  second,  argumenta- 
tive; third,  the  reply;  fourth,  the  pathetic. 
You  and  your  wife  and  children  must  sit 
quiet  until  I  come  to  the  fourth,  or  pathetic, 
part,  and  then  I  want  you  all  to  burst  out 
aloud  and  cry,  groan  and  take  on  as  I  pro- 
ceed to  the  close.  The  moment  I  stop,  arise 
and  throw  your  arms  around  your  wife's 
neck  and  kiss  the  baby."  The  trial  was 
opened ;  the  jury  empaneled  and  evidence 
heard.  The  prosecuting  attorney  opened  the 
case  with  a  speech  of  great  power.  Lawyer 
Bombast  arose  with  all  eyes  centered  on  him, 
and  began  as  follows :  "If  the  court  please, 
gentlemen  of  the  jury,  look  at  my  client; 
look  at  his  poor  wife  and  little  babe;  look 
at  the  afilicted  parents,  weighed  down  with 
sorrow  and  brief,  sinking  as  it  were  to  their 
graves.  Oh,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  can 
you  find  il  in  your  hearts  to  send  him  to  the 
penitentiary?" 

As  he  uttered  these  last  words  the  prisoner 
set  up  a  loud  howl,  threw  his  arms  around 
his  wife's  neck,  and  kissed  the  babe,  while 
the  rest  of  the  family  joined  in  the  chorus. 
The  lawyer  was- dumbfounded ;  the  court 
looked  in  astonishment,  the  jurors  looked 
at  each  other  and  wondered  what  it  all 
meant,  but  the  bombast  took  in  the  situation 
at  a  glance  and  explained :  "Nothing  only  a 
mistake  of  my  client,  your  honor  and  gen- 
tlemen of  the   jurv.     He  mistook  the  'his- 


torical' for  'i)athetic'  part  of  my  speech," 
Tlic  blunder  lost  his  case. 

A  number  of  very  interesting  and  humor-  . 
ous  stories  are  told  of  William  M.  Thomas, 
J.  P.,  two  or  three  of  which  we  will  relate. 
In  a  trial  l)efore  him  a  man  by  the  name  of 
( iuim  was  a  witness.  1'he  man  hesitated 
not  a  little  and  seemed  unwilling,  after 
much  persistent  questioning,  to  tell  what  he 
really  knew,  when  the  esquire  became  im- 
patient and  said :  "Come,  Mr,  Gunn,  don't 
hang  fire."  After  the  examination  closed 
the  bystanders  were  convulsed  with  laughter 
by  the  old  esquire  adding,  "Mr.  Gunn,  you 
can  go  off;  you're  discharged." 

The  esquire  is  also  credited  with  the  fol- 
lowing decision:  "The  fact  is,  Peter  Smith, 
the  jail  is  an  old  rickety  affair,  as  cold  as 
an  iron  wedge.  You  applied  to  this  court 
for  release  on  bail,  giving  it  as  your  opinion 
that  you  would  freeze  to  death  there.  It  is 
the  desire  of  this  court  to  be  humane,  and 
as  the  weather  has  not  moderated  and  to 
keep  you  from  freezing,  I  will  direct  the 
sheriff  to  hang  you  at  4  o'clock  this  after- 
noon." 

In  another  case  before  Thomas , 

James  Funderburk  vs.  Sam  Brents — In  trial 
of  Right  of  Property.  It  was  a  jury  case, 
composed  of  old  Dicky  Simpson  and  others. 

Capt.   H suggested  to  the  plaintiff  to 

take  a  jug  of  good  old  bourbon  and  treat  the 
court  and  jury.  Funderburk  acted  on  the 
suggestion  and  it  proved  to  be  a  happy 
thought.  The  court  drank;  the  jury  drank; 
and  all  felt  good.  The  esquire  gave  an  ink- 
ling of  his  decision  in  advance.  He  said: 
"There's  no  use  going  into  trial  in  this  case, 
for  the  Right  of  Property  is  not  in  Sam 
Brents,  and  he  is  subject  to  the  execution 
by  G— d,  sir." 

The  jury  nodded  assent,  as  they  were  in 
a   nodding  mood.     The  constable   retained 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


75 


possession  of  the  property  and  the  plaintiff, 
Funderburk,  got  his  money. 

Another  case  before  Esquire  Thomas,  in 
which  Benjamin  VVilhams  was  defendant. 
The  trial  did  not  result  to  the  satisfaction 
of  said  defendant,  and  he  charged  that  the 
esquire  did  not  do  him  justice.  His  insult- 
ing remarks  were  overheard  by  the  esquire, 
and  on  his  comng  out  of  the  court  house  he 
gathered  hold  of  a  hoop-pole,  exclaiming : 
"By  God,  sir,  I'll  give  you  more  substantial 
justice,"  and  lampooned  him  most  unmerci- 
fully. 

Le  Roy  Hill,  of  Sangamon,  was  a  defend- 
ant in  a  suit  instituted  before  Thomas.  He 
asked  for  a  change  of  venue,  giving  as  a 
reason  that  "he  didn't  like  to  be  tried  by 
steam,"  over  which  the  esquire  became 
wrathy,  and  "by  the  eternal,"  swore  a  per- 
fect streak.  However,  the  change  was 
granted  and  the  case  taken  before  another 
justice.  i 

The  "Bull  Pen"  or   Pugilistic  Times. 

No  sooner  had  the  county  seat  been  lo- 
cated than  it  became  a  rallying  point  for  all 
the  belligerent  spirits  of  the  county.    Ben 


W and  William  W had  a  fight  a 

few  minutes  after  the  "locating  peg"  had 
been  driven  by  the  commissioners.  This  was 
the  inauguration  of  affrays,  which  contin- 
ued for  several  years  at  the  county  seat, 
greatly  to  its  discredit.  Persons  harboring 
ill-feeling  or  any  grievance  against  a  neigh- 
bor would,  on  meeting  him,  throw  out  a 
challenge  to  meet  on  "muster  day"  or  some 
other  public  occasion  and  settle  the  matter. 
Time  did  not  seem  to  abate  their  hostility; 
the  hate  once  engendered  still  rankled  in 
their  bosoms,  and  public  opinion  deferred 
to  this  mode  of  settling  old  grudges,  and  it 
required  no  little  moral  courage  to  with- 
stand it.     The  combatants  at  the  appointed 


time  would,  with  their  friends,  be  on  hand; 
draw  their  coats,  gird  their  loins  and  enter 
the  "bull  pen,"  which  at  that  time  consisted 
of  the  public  square,  in  the  absence  of  a 
"stray  pen."  It  was  not  uncommon  for  a 
half  dozen  such  cases  to  be  adjusted  in  one 
day.  On  such  occasions  large  crowds  often 
assembled  and  there  was  usually  on  hand  a 
bountiful  supply  of  "sod  corn." 

Capt.  H was  sure  to  be  present  with 

his  two-wheeled  cart,  containing  a  cask  of 
"tanglefoot,"  and  his  stentorian  voice  could 
be  heard  far  and  near  to  repeat,  "Ho,  all  ye 
thirsty,  come  and  drink.  It  is  warranted  to 
keep  you  cool  in  the  summer  and  warm  in 
the  winter.  Indians  say  there  are  'fifty  fights 
in  every  barrel  of  fire  water.'  " 

There  were  times  when  some  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the  county  would  be 
engaged  in  these  melees.  It  was  on  one 
of  these  memorable  occasions  when  Gabriel 

and  others  were  engaged  that  Thomas , 

county  collector,  supposing  himself  clothed 
with  the  necessary  authority,  mounted  the 
court  house  steps  and  in  tones  of  thunder 
"commanded  the  peace."  His  admonitions 
not  being  heeded,  he  threw  off  his  coat, 
waded  in,  exclaiming  that  he  would  "be 
d — d  if  he  didn't  have  peace"  and  made  for 
Gabriel,  when  he  suddenly  "right  about 
faced"  and  left  on  "double  quick,"  with  his 
long  ringlets  streaming  .in  the  air,  as  the  ex- 
cited crowd  and  the  captain's  commissary 
closed  in  the  rear.  These  sovereigns  would 
suffer  no  interference  on  these  war-like  oc- 
casions. It  was  looked  upon  as  cowardly 
to  use  knives  and  pistols,  and  it  was  very 
seldom  that  such  was  the  case. 

The  Militia  System. 

In  the  earlier  history  of  the  county  the 
military  spirit  ran  high,  and  many  aspirants 
for  position  used  it  as  a  "stepping-stone" 


1 


76 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


to  power.  Previous  to  the  fdniiation  of  the 
county  the  people  liad  to  travel  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  to  Kochester  to  do  military 
duty.  This  was  a  i^reat  inconvenience,  and 
at  length  the  county  was  laid  off  into  mili- 
tarv  districts.  Inflections  were  ordered  in 
each  of  the  company  districts  for  one  cap- 
tain, (inc  fir^t  lieutenant  and  one  ensign. 
Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  county  the 
following  order  was  issued  : 

"Militia  in.  Dane,  Notice : 

Lieut.-Col.  White's  regiment,  including 
all  the  county  of  Dane,  will  parade  for  re- 
view and  inspection  at  Taylorville  on  Fri- 
day, June  2y^  1839. 

By  order  of  A.  G.  Henry, 

Springiield,  111.  Brigade  Major." 

By  this  order  the  captains  were  required 
to  he  in  the  field  with  their  respective  com- 
mands,   "armed    and    e(|uipped   as    the   law 
directs."      The   great    and    memorable    day 
came.     The  parade  ground  was  early  filled 
with  waving  plumes  and  crowds  of  anxious 
citizens.      The     ground     where   Taylorville 
had  been  located  a  month  previous  was  dot- 
ted with  white  tents.     Soon  the  adjutant,  on 
a  s])len(li(l  charger,  came  galloping  into  the 
field  with  orders:    "Officers,  to  your  places, 
marshal  your  men  into  companies,  separating 
the  barefooted  from  those  who  have  shoes, 
placing  those  wdio  have    guns,   sticks    and 
corn-stalks   in    separate   platoons,    and   then 
form  the  line  ready  tf^  receive  your  superior 
officers."    Thomas  T\  P)ond  had  been  elected 
colonel   of    the   regiment.      The  order   was 
executed.      Col.    Bond  was  seen  coming  in 
the  distance,  accompanied  by  the  old  lieuten- 
ant colonel,  with  his  aides.     1die  lines  were 
wheeled  into  a  column  and  made  to  ])erform 
.some  fine    military     evolutions,   and  ,  were 
eventually  brought  into  position   for  review 
by  the  colonel  and  his  staff. 

The  strand  column  then  moved  with  the 


colonel  at  its  head  to  a  field  hrdf  a  mile  west 
of  town,  with  its  l)a_\-onets,  sticks  .and  corn- 
stalks "littering  in  the  sunshine. 

After  exhibiting  a  fine  military  display 
thcv  formed  into  line  of  battle,  under  the 
command  of  the  gallant  colonel,  and  a  sham 
battle,  with  corn-stalks,  was  fought,  with 
great  furv,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  by- 
standers. 

Sam  Brents  was  placed  under  arrest  by 
his  commanding  officer  for  disobedience  of 
orders,  in  not  poising  his  corn-stalk  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  in  accordance 
with  military  usage.  A  guard  was  placed 
over  him,  who  was  compelled  to  hold  an 
umbrella  over  his  head  to  protect  him  from 
the  intolerable  heat  of  the  sun.  then  96  de- 
o;rees  F.  in  the  shade. 

A   Deep   Snow. 

One  of  the  mile-stones  or  epochs  of  Chris- 
tian county  and  Central '  Illinois  was  the 
period  of  the  deep  snow  which  fell  in  the 
winter  of  1830-31.  For  many  years  the 
period  of  the  deep  snow  was  referred  to 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  who  were 
and  were  not  old  settlers,  at  the  old-settlers' 
meetings  held  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago, 
the  question  frequently  asked  was,  "Was 
you  here  before  the  deep  snow?"  If  so, 
then  you  are  entitled  to  all  honors  of  an  old 
settler.  This  probably  more  thrm  any  other 
event  made  a  lasting  impression  upon  the 
minds  of  the  people  who  lived  in  Christian 
countv  and  Central  Illinois  at  that  time.  We 
ha\e  grown  so  far  from  that  period,  how- 
ever, that  if  the  old  settlers  are  to  be  desig- 
nated as  those  living  here  during  the  deep 
snow,  then  they  are  becoming  very  few,  as 
that  generation  is  ])ractically  gone. 

From  the  acc(^unts  given  of  this  period 
and  the  hardships  endured  by  those  living 
here  at  that  time,  it  is  not  remarkable  that 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


77 


the  sncnv  created  such  an  impression  uppn 
the  minds  of  the  inhal)itants ;  nothing  hke 
it  ha^  heen  seen  since  and  prohably  not 
Ijefore. 

It  is  said  that  the  Indians  had  a  trath- 
tion  that  al)ont  seventy-five  years  before  a 
snow  fell  which  swept  away  the  immense 
herds  of  buffalo  and  elk  that  roamed  the 
prairies,  hut  this  tradition,  h'ke  many  others 
of  the  Indians,  may  have  been  greatly  mag- 
nified as  it  was  handed  down  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  yet  the  immense  quantity 
of  buffalo  and  elk  bones  found  on  the 
prairies  when  first  ^'isited  ])v  the  white  man 
may  have  been  an  evidence  of  these  animals 
having  been  starved  to  death  by  reason  of 
some  calamity  and  it  may  have  been  a  deep 
snow. 

It  is  said  that  this  snow  began  falling 
early  in  the  autumn  and  continued  at  inter- 
vals throughout  the  entire  winter.  A  fall 
of  snow  would  frecjuently  be  succeeded  by 
heavy  sleet,  forming  crusts  of  ice  between 
the  layers  of  the  snow  strong  enough  in 
many  places  to  bear  up  people  and  animals, 
and  permitted  them  to  travel  on  the  top  of 
the  snow  or  crust. 

It  was  a  dark,  dreary,  cold  winter,  and 
so  intense  w-as  the  cold  that  the  snow  did 
not  melt  even  on  the  sunny  side  of  the 
buildings;  it  is  said  by  those  who  lived  here 
at  that  time  that  during  the  winter  the  snow^ 
had  olitained  a  depth  of  five  feet  on  the 
level,  and  many  places  drifted  to  a  depth 
of  twenty  feet  or  more,  frequently  drifting 
up  against  the  house  to  such  a  depth  that 
they  were  compelled  to  burrow  out  under 
the  snow  to  secure  a^  passage  of  ingress  and 
egress  to  the  house;  these,  of  course,  were 
seldom,  but  it  serves  to  illustrate  the  depth 
of  the  snow  fall.  By  reason  of  the  depth 
of  the  snow  the  inhabitants,  when  they  be- 
gan to  travel,   were  enabled  to  drive  any- 


where regardless  of  the  fences,  driving  over 
them  without  even  knowing  they  w^ere  there, 
l)ut  for  weeks  the  people  were  blockaded  or 
housed  up,  and  remained  so  until  starva- 
tion compelled  them  to  go  forth  in  search 
of  food. 

In  a  former  chapter  we  .have  given  an 
incident  of  the  difiiculties  and  suffering  en- 
dured by  the  settler  during  this  snow  in 
endeavoring  to  procure  food  for  his  family 
Before  that  time  deer,  prairie  chickens, 
quails,  rabbits  and  other  birds  and  animals 
had  l;een  abundant  and  furnished  the  settler 
with  a  good  supply  of  meat,  but  for  years 
afterwards  game  of  all  kinds  was  very 
scarce,  having  perished  in  the  snow^  It  is 
not  easy  to  perceive  wdiy  nature  should  re- 
quire a  people  so  illy  prepared  to  bear  the 
burdens  of  such  a  phenomena,  Imt  it  is  no 
less  difficult  to  determine  why  nature  should 
give  such  a  down-pour  of  rain  as  to  cause 
the  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  to  overflow 
and'  the  great  crops  growing  thereon  de- 
stroyed, and  at  the  same  time  permit  the 
plains  of  Nebraska,  Kansas  and  other  re- 
gions to  be  dried  up  and  parched,  but  we  all 
know  such  things  to  transpire  in  nature. 

The  period  of  the  deep  snow  of  1831,  with 
the  cold  and  suffering  followdng  in  its  wake 
will  never  he  forgotten  by  those  who  wit- 
nessed it,  and  it  is  well  that  an  event  of  this 
magnitude  should  be  so  chronicled  and  in- 
scribed upon  the  pages  of  history  that  gen- 
erations yet  unborn  may  know  the  powders  of 
nature  and  learn  as  best  they  can  as  they 
journey  through  life  to  prepare  for  such 
events,  for  what  nature  has  done  she  may 
again  do,  for  according  to  the  tradition  of 
the  Indian  that  a  snow  of  this  kind  had  fal- 
len seventy-five  years  before  it  may  be  that 
an  epoch  of  snow  may  come  upon  us  within 
a  short  period,  not  in  the  course  of  tradi- 
tion, but  as  a  result  of  a  disturbance  of  the 


78 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


elements  by  the  changes  in  the  great  plan- 
etary system. 

The  Sudden  Freeze. 

One  of  the  natural  phcnunicna  that  is 
more  wonderful  than  that  of  the  deep  snow 
is  said  to  have  occurred  a  little  after  noon 
one  day  in  January,  in  the  year  1836,  and 
is  known  as  the  sudden  freeze. 

A  lady  who  is  an  old  settler  has  left  the 
following  record  of  her  recollections  of  this 
wonderful  change  in  the  atmosphere.  The 
lady  says  "she  and  her  family  had  finished 
the  noon-day  meal,  and  were  sitting  around 
and  in  front  of  the  old  fashioned,  large,  open 
fire-place,  enjoying  its  generous  warmth, 
chatting  and  discussing  the  state  of  the 
weather,  as  during  the  morning  it  had  been 
snowing  and  raining  a  little;  presently  the 
lady,  in  looking  from  the  window  in  her 
cabin,  noticed  a  heavy  black  cloud  lying 
off  to  the  west,  which  seemed  to  be  rapidly 
approaching.  Needing  some  water,  she  took 
a  bucket  and  went  to  the  well,  at  a  distance 
of  about  one  hundred  yards,  lowering  the 
bucket  with  a  long  'sweep,'  then  used  in 
drawing  the  water,  filled  it,  and  started 
home.  Before  reaching  the  house  the  wind 
and  rain  struck  her;  blew  and  upset  a  por- 
tion of  the  water  on  her  clothing;  the  cold 
air  seemed  to  cut  like  a  knife  and  before 
she  reached  the  house  her  dress  and  apron 
were  frozen  stifT  in  a  solid  sheet  of  ice.  Ponds 
which  a  moment  before  were  free  from  ice 
were  frozen  over  in  a  few  minutes.  Many 
persons  were  frozen  to  death  who  happened 
to  be  caught  away  from  home,  and  many 
others  before  they  could  get  to  a  place  of 
shelter  had  their  faces,  ears,  hands  and  feet 
frozen.  Immediately  preceding  the  storm 
the  ground  had  been  slightly  covered  with 
snow,  which  from  rain  falling  in  the  morn- 
ing had  become  'slushy.'     Cattle  that  were 


in  the  fields  were  held  fast  by  the  'slush' 
freezing  aljoul  tlicir  feet,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  cut  away  the  ice  to  liberate  them. 
Ducks  and  geese  were  imprisoned  in  the 
same  way.  It  was  scarcely  ten  minutes 
after  the  cold  wave  swept  over  the  place  until 
the  water  and  melting  snow  was  hard  enough 
to  bear  u])  a  man  on  horscliack." 

The  Rainy  Season. 

During  the  years  of  1876  and  1877  Chris- 
tian county  was  confronted  with  two  of  the 
rainiest  seasons  that  had  ever  lieen  known 
in  the  history  of  this  locality.  Prior  to 
this  time  and  since,  people  have  witnessed 
many  freshets  and  heavy  rain-falls,  but  they 
v.ere  of  short  duration,  and  the  waters  fall- 
ing soon  mov.ed  away  and  left  the  farms  in 
fair  condition  for  the  raising  of  their  crops, 
but  during  the  years  1876  and  1877  very 
early  in  the  spring  and  until  very  late  in 
the  season,  the  rains  were  continuous,  the 
streams  were  alb  swollen  and  the  farms  all 
flooded.  In  most  localities  the  farmers  w'ere 
unable  to  plant  their  land  to  corn,  except  on 
the  high  patches;  all  the  low-  lands  that  were 
planted  were  never  cultivated,  and  the  crops 
never  matured.  As  a  farmer  remarked  to 
me  this  morning,  in  many  instances  they 
would  not  be  able  to  get  ten  bushels  of  corn 
off  of  eighty  acres  of  land  that  had  been 
j^lanted,  and  this  succession  of  bad  crops 
had  a  terribly  depressing  influence  upon 
the  farming  interests  of  Christian  county, 
so  much  so  that  tenants  by  the  hundred 
moved  from  off  their  farms.  lea\ing  the 
whole  of  their  crops  to  the  landlord  to  pay 
the  rent,  and  out  of  the  whole  of  it  he  ob- 
tained but  a  scanty  rent.  Many  of  the 
owners  of  land  who  mortgaged  them  prior 
to  the  rainy  season,  owing  to  the  want  of 
crops,  were  unable  to  meet  their  payment, 
and  as  a  restilt,  mortgages  w'ere  foreclosed 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


79 


upon  Inindreds  of  farms  in  the  county,  and 
many  good  and  valuable  homes  sacrificed. 
Lands  that,  prior  to  this,  had  been  worth 
from  $35  to  $40  an  acre  dropped  in  value 
from  $15  to  $25  per  acre,  and  much  of  the 
land  that  could  have  been  purchased  at  that 
price  is  now  worth  $100  to  $125  per  acre. 

After  the  railroads  were  installed  in  this 
county  it  looked  as  if  the  time  had  come 
when  the  farmers  and  those  interested  in 
agricultural  pursuits  would  reap  a  rich 
liarvest  and  lands  did,  in  fact,  rapidly  ad- 
^•ance  in  value,  but  the  county  lacked  drain- 
age ;  even  open  drains  were  very  few ;  tile 
drains  absolutely  none,  so  that  when  the 
rains  of  these  wonderful  seasons  of  '76  and 
'yy  came  farmers  were  unable  to  get  the 
water  from  their  lands  and  as  a  result  the 
crops  were  wholly  destroyed. 

Drainage  was  one  of  the  absolute  neces- 
sities for  Christian  county,  and  its  improve- 
ment and  the  thorough  drainage  system 
which  has  since  been  adopted  in  several 
townships  in  the  county  and  treated  of  in 
another  chapter,  will  in  all  probability  avert 
another  calamity  like  that  of  '^(^  and  'yj. 

Those  who  were  able  to  withstand  the 
struggle  and  hold  on  to  their  homes  were 
well  rewarded,  for  during  the  year  1878  and 
1879,  such  wonderful  wheat  crops  and 
other  crops  as  were  grown  in  this  county 
had  never  been  seen,  and  lands  in  a  short 
time  almost  doubled  in  value. 

Men  who  had  bought  farms  during  the 
time  of  depression  realized  enough  ofif  of 
one  wheat  crop  in  many  instances  to  pay 
for  the  farm,  and  much  of  this  money  was 
utilized  in  the  drainage  of  the  lands  and 
placing  them  beyond  the  probability  of  hav- 
ing their  entire  crops  destroyed  in  conse- 
quence of  a  rainy  season. 

Christian  county  at  that  time  looked  al- 
most solely  to  her  agricultural  products  for 


its  income,  and  as  a  result  the  depression 
felt  in  these  years  was  not  confined  to  the 
farmer,  but  was  visited  upon  the  merchant 
and  laborer  as  well.     Many  people  who  had 
before  this  time  supposed  themselves  to  be 
in   a   position   that    would    enable   them    to 
battle  with  and   survive  any  ordinary  dis- 
aster, were  horrified  and  amazed  at  the  de- 
pressing influence  of  these  years  upon  the 
community.      It     is     said    that     everything 
works  together  for  the  common  good  of  all, 
and  perhaps  it  is  well  that  these  scourges 
are  inflicted  upon  us  at  times  to  remind  us 
of  our   weakness  and   of  the  necessity   of 
economy    and    thrift    in    more    prosperous 
times.    Every  young  man  and  woman  should 
learn  from  these  lessons  that  "in  times  of 
peace  they  should  prepare   for  war" — that 
in  times  of  thrift  they  should  so  economize 
and  husband  their  resources  that  they  may 
be  able  to  bear  their  burdens  in  times  of 
adversity  and  want  of  prosperity  that  happi- 
ness, independence  and  manhood  are  not  ac- 
cjuired  by  the  wasting  of  the  whole  of  their 
earnings ;  while  ito  criticism  can  be  offered 
in  any  endeavor  to  make  life  comfortable 
and  happy,  it  is  at  all  times  to  be  praised, 
yet  a  squandering  and  wasting  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  our  labor  is  at  all  times  to  be  con- 
demned. 

In  the  journey  of  life  we  are  almost  cer- 
tain to  meet  with  disappointment  and  mis- 
fortune through  natural  causes,  or  other- 
wise, that  call  upon  us  for  the  preservation 
of  our  health  and  an  economy  in  the  man- 
agement of  our  affairs  in  life  to  be  able  to 
withstand  these  misfortunes  when  they  be- 
fall us,  ever  remembering  that  old  adage 
"that  a  wilful  waste  makes  a  woeful  want." 

The  Cyclone  of  1880. 

Near  the  hour  of  sunset  of  Saturday, 
April  24,  1880,  the  western  part  of  Chris- 


80 


PAST  AND   PRESENT 


tian  county  was  xisitcd  willi  a  tcrrilile  cy- 
clone, which  swept  e\er)thini;"  in  its  patli 
and  was  very  (lestructi\  e  of  ht'e  and  proj)- 
erty. 

The  storm  entered  Christian  county  about 
inw  or  Uvc  miles  northwest  from  Morri- 
sonxille  and  traveled  in  a  northeasterly  di- 
rection, crossing  the  south  fork  of  tlie  San- 
gamon ri\er  at  W'illowfcM'd  bridge,  and 
thence  passing  about  two  miles  west  of  Tay- 
lor\-ille  to  a  point  about  li\e  miles  north  of 
Taylorxille,  where  it  apparently  lifted  up 
and  i)assed  away. 

In  its  course  it  passed  o\er  and  destroyed 
many  comfortable  homes  and  much  valu- 
al)le  property. 

News  of  the  storm  was  received  at  Tay- 
lorxille, shortly  afterward,  and  the  excite- 
ment that  prevailed  among  the  inhabitants 
was  simply  wonderful.  There  was  a  great 
demand  for  horses  and  rigs  of  every  kind 
and  character  to  ^•isit  the  scene  and  care  for 
those  who  were  injured,  but  owing  to  the 
darkness  of  the  night  and  th.e  downpour  of 
rain,  it  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  any 
definite  results  until  daylight  on  Sunday 
morning. 

As  soon  as  it  was  possible,  the  wounded 
and  dead  were  cared  for,  and  the  scene  of 
destruction  w^as  visited  on  Sunday  by  thou- 
sands of  ]ieople,  and  w  ith  one  accord  it  was 
acknowledged  bx'  all  to  be  by  far  the  e^reat- 
est  .and  most  destructive  storm  that  ever 
visited  this  section  of  the  country. 

The  unsightly  wa.ste  and  evidences  of  the 
power  of  the  cyclone  made  the  stoutest 
hearts  (|nail  and  xxondcr  at  the  power  of  the 
destructive  forces  of  nature. 

After  the  storm  reached  the  i)rairie,  the 
cloud  became  more  visible  to  those  in  and 
near  its  path  than  xvliilc  in  the  heavy  tim- 
ber. 

The  writer  has  learned  from  Mr.  E.  A. 


.Miller,  who  xvas  in  the  path  of  the  storm 
and  xvatched  it  for  some  distance  1>efore  it 
reached  his  place,  many  important  facts  ob- 
served by  him  xx  ith  reference  to  this  cyclone. 
He  says  he  observetl  it  first  at  a  distance  of 
txvo  or  three  miles  mox-ing  in  a  direct  line 
of  his  jjremises;  that  it  a])peared  to  be  a 
cloud  of  funnel  shape  and  of  the  density  of 
the  darkest  coal  smoke,  relieved  by  streaks 
of  light  xvhich  xvere  taken  to  l)e  electricity; 
it  had  a  rotary  motion  as  well  as  a  forward 
motion,  and  while  the  rotary  motion  must 
have  been  exceedingly  rapid,  the  forward 
motion  did  not  exceed  perhaps  30  miles  an 
hour,  and  it  apparently  traveled  in  a  straight 
course.  There  accompanied  it  a  rumbling 
sound  resembling  somewhat  that  of  a  heavy 
train  passing  over  a  wooden  bridge.  As  it 
reached  Mr.  Miller's  place  it  passed  to  the 
west  of  his  residence  and  over  a  tenant  house 
that  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Andrew  Oyler. 

The  rotary  motion  seemed  to  have  cov- 
ered the  space  of  about  /^  of  a  mile,  and 
the  cyclone  moxed  from  right  to  left,  or 
from  east  to  west,  through-^the  north,  the 
eastern  side  of  the  cyclone  drawing  the  prop- 
erty and  trees  and  human  beings  forward 
and  toxvards  the  centre,  the  west  side  of  the 
cyclone  drawing  the  property  backward  and 
toxvard  the  centre.  The  house  occupied  by 
Andrew  Oyler  xvas  on  the  xvest  of -the  cen- 
tre of  the  storm,  xvas  entirely  destroyed, 
but  a  portion  of  the  roof  and  the  chimney 
of  the  house  xvere  carried  backward  the  dis- 
tance of  about  seventy-five  yards,  and  there 
dropped  in  a  i)ilc  in  the  xvake  of  the  storm 
as  if  they  had  been  dumped  from  a  wagon. 
.\t  a  hedge  fence  running  east  and  west 
north  of  Mr.  Miller's  residence  in  the  track 
of  the  storm  on  the  east  side  of  the  centre 
of  the  storm,  the  debris  was  deposited  on  the 
south  side  of  the  hedge  and  on  the  w^est  side 
of  the  storm  centre,  the  debris  was  depos- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


81 


ited  on  the  north  side  of  the  hedge,  and  the 
exact  centre  of  the  storm  could  he  observed 
as  it  passed  over  fields  liy  a  light  line  of  lit- 
ter of  husks,  corn  shucks  and  things  of  tliat 
character  of  the  width  of  ahout  three  feet. 

Mr.  Miller  had  a  beautiful  maple  grove 
through  which  the  storm  passed,  and  on 
the  east  side  of  tlie  centre  of  the  sUn'm  the 
trees  were  blown  down  and  turned  to  the 
north  and  northwest,  while  on  the  west  side 
of  the  centre  the  trees  were  Ijlown  down  and 
twisted  and  turned  to  the  soutli  and  south- 
east. 

The  well  at  the  tenant  house  of  Mr. 
Miller  was  curbed  in  two  sections,  the  up])er 
section  being  of  tb.e  length  of  about  lo  feet; 
this  section  was  drawn  from  the  well  l)y 
the  storm  and  utterly  demolished. 

There  were  standing  in  the  barn  at  this 
tenant  house  occupied  liy  Mr.  Oyler,  two 
horses ;  one  was  tied  to  the  manger  and  the 
other  to  a  post  that  was  set  in  the  ground ; 
the  barn  was  entirely  destroyed  and  every 
vestige  of  it  swept  away,  except  the  one 
post  at  which  the  horse  was  tied.  The  horse 
tied  at  the  manger  was  picked  up  by  the 
storm  and  carried  the  distance  of  about  30 
rods  northeast  and  liadly  crippled  while  the 
horse  tied  to  the  post  remained  there  and 
was  not  injured.  In  the  wake  of  the  storm 
Mr.  Miller  found  chickens,  rattlesnakes,  to- 
gether with  many  other  objects  of  interest, 
and  he  says. the  feathers  were  picked  from 
the  chickens  as  close  as  though  they  had 
Ijeen  prepared  for  market,  but  it  was  a  mys- 
tery where  the  rattlesnakes  came  from,  evi- 
dentl}'  carried  there  from  the  timber., 

A  neighbor  living  north  of  him  had  cattle 
pastures  upon  the  south  side  of  a  large 
hedge  fence ;  some  of  these  cattle  were 
picked  up  and  actually  carried  over  the  top 
of  this  hedge  fence,  a  distance  of  many  rods, 


and  dropi)ed  uikju  the  other  side,  many  of 
them  being  killed,  some  badly  injured. 

Smith  Oyler's  residence  was  completely 
torn  down,  and  carried  away;  yet  a  cone 
shaped  wood-pile  cut  into  stove  lengths  and 
being  within  the  same  distance  of  the  storm 
centre  ns  the  house  was  not  disturbed.  A 
n.ew  wagcjn  upon  the  place  of  Mr.  Miller 
was  utterly  demolished,  the  wagon  spokes 
separated  from  the  hub  of  one  wheel,  while 
the  tire  of  this  wheel  was  found  wrapped 
around  a  tree  further  along  in  the  line  of 
the  storm. 

In  the  track  of  the  storm  for  some  distance 
up(m  each  side  of  the  centre  the  ground  was 
in  most  places  swept  perfectly  clean,  in 
places  had  the  appearance  of  a  swept  street; 
where  it  passed  through  the  wheat  field  of 
Andrew  Oyler,  the  wheat  which  was  about 
eight  inches  high  was  cut  and  cleaned  up  so 
that  you  could  scarcely  observe  that  any- 
thing had  e\er  lieen  planted  there. 

At  the  home  of  Mr.  T.  J.  Langley,  who 
resided  near  the  timber,  the  family  sought 
protection  by  running  to  the  orchard,  lying 
down  upon  the  ground  and  taking  hold  of 
trees ;  one  of  his  sons,  a  boy  of  the  age  of 
about  seven  years,  was  picked  up  by  the 
storm  and  carried  out  over  the  trees  the  dis- 
tance of  about  200  feet,  and  there  dropped 
in  a  wheat  field  ;  the  l)oy  was  crippled,  but 
not  killed,  and  he  says  that  as  he  was  being 
caVried  away  he  observed  by  the  streaks  of 
lieht  in  the  storm  cloud  the  trees  below  him 
as  he  passed  along;  the  mother  of  the  boy, 
Mrs.  Langley,  was  killed,  anrl  Mr.  Langley 
and  the  other  son  were  badly  crippled,  and 
Mr.  T.  W.  Brents,  our  present  sheriff,  was 
there  at  the  time  and  was  also  injured.  His 
head  was  badly  cut  and  hand  broken. 

Mr.  Langley  says  they  were  all  of  them 
literally  covered  and  plastered  with  mud,  so 
much  so  that  they  could  scarcely  open  their 


82 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


eyes  after  the  storm  had  passed  by,  and  Mr. 
P.rcnts  and  Mr.  Langley  l>oth  descrilie  the 
storm  passing-  over  them  as  \i  there  was  a 
terrible  weight  resting  upon  them. 

At  Mr.  Cutler's,  two  children  were  killed, 
and  Mrs.  Cutler  badly  cripi)led ;  at  Frank 
Peters',  the  family  took  refuge  under  a 
manger  in  a  log  stable,  and  the  storm  blew 
down  this  log  stable  even  with  the  top  of 
the  manger  and  the  family  miraculously  es- 
caped. The  storm  swept  o\'er  and  destroyed 
the  home  of  Mr.  Thomas  Smith  l)y  lifting 
his  JKnisc  from  the  foundation  and  partially 
turning  it  around;  the  home  of  Mr.  S.  W. 
Hawkins,  a  little  further  north  in  the  course 
of  the  storm,  was  badly  wrecked  and  al- 
most entirely  demolished,  but  the  family, 
havinsr  s:athered  in  a  southeast  room,  mirac- 
ulously  escaped  injury. 

The  home  of  the  widow  Carlton  was  not 
<lislurl)cd,  except  the  roof  was  blown  away. 
It  seems  that  as  the  storm  passed  along  it 
would  raise  and  lower  at  places. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Edward  Leigh  was 
entirely  swept  away,  together  with-  much 
property,  l)ut  the  family  escaped  by  seeking 
refuee  in  the  cellar;  likewise  the  house  of 
Mr.  Jf^hn  Gessner.  but  the  family  was  pre- 
served by  having  gone  to  the  cellar  for  safe- 
ty. The  home,  barn,  orchard  and  every- 
thing surrounding  the  home  of  Mr.  T.  J. 
Langlev  were  totally  destroyed,  and  the 
family  injured  as  above  described. 

Tt  is  said  that  Mr.  A.  Elliot  had  several 
ril)s  broken,  and  that  Mrs.  Elliot,  with  n 
mother's  devotion,  sought  to  shield  her  off- 
spring from  harm  by  clasping  the  children 
under  each  arm,  and  with  another  in  her 
lap  waited  the  onset ;  that  the  children  were 
unhurt,  and  that  Mrs.  Elliot  was  severely 
wounded. 

The  escape  of  Rinaldo  Carlton  and  his 
wife,  was  simply  miraculous;  they  attempt- 


ed to  hold  the  door  from  being  blown  open 
by  the  storm,  but  being  unable  to  do  so, 
rushed  out  into  the  storm  and  the  house  was 
entirely  destroyed.  Fortunately  they  re- 
ceived only  slight  injuries. 

The  Willowford  bridge  was  totally 
wrecked  and  many  of  the  heavy  timbers 
caught  up  and  carried  a  distance  of  a  mile. 
At  the  residence  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Williams  he 
and  his  family  sought  refuge  in  a  cave  and 
avoided  injury,  but  the  house  and  buildings 
were  entirely  destroyed. 

Mr.  J.  J.  Cutler  lived  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
north  of  Mr.  Williams,  and  at  the  time  of 
the  approach  of  the  storm  attempted  to 
reach  liis  home,  but  was  overtaken  by  the 
hurricane,  and  found  himself  amidst  flying 
rails,  boards  and  timbers,  and  on  nearing  his 
home  he  saw  the  tornado  lift  the  house  from 
the  ground,  and  the  form  of  his  little  daugh- 
ter carried  away  high  above  the  tree  tops. 
The  body  was  found  the  next  morning  quite 
a  distance  from  the  house  in  a  brush  pile 
with  the  upper  part  of  the  head  gone  and 
the  skull  crushed,  and  his  little  son  was 
found  a  short  distance  from  the  house  hor- 
ribly mutilated  and  dead. 

Frank  Peters  and  his  family  were  saved 
by  taking  refuge  in  a  log  stable.  The  home 
was  entirely  destroyed. 

At  the  home  of  John  Hayes  the  house 
was  lifted  from  over  the  heads  of  himself 
and  family,  leaving  them  on  the  floor;  no 
one  was  seriously  injured,  except  Mr. 
Haves,  who  received  a  fracture  of  the  skull ; 
also  at  the  home  of  William  Welsh  the  roof 
was  taken  off  the  house,  but  the  family  was 
uninjured. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Higgins  were  found 
a  few  hours  after  the  storm  had  subsided, 
a  cjuarter  of  a  mile  away  from  where  their 
house  had  stood,  locked  in  each  other's  arms. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


88 


covered  with  nuul,  inseiisi1)le,  bleeding  and 
horribly  mutilated. 

James  Watts  and  wife  were  both  seri- 
ously injured,  and  their  home  and  effects 
entirely  destroyed:  the  home  of  Mrs.  Holf- 
ner  was  also  destroyed,  and  she,  with  her 
five  children,  were  caught  in  the  falling 
building;  Mrs.  Holfner  and  two  of  the  chil- 
dren  were  seriously  injured. 

At  Frank  Harket's,  one  end  of  the  house 
was  blown  out  and  the  roof  lifted,  leaving 
the  other  end  of  the  house  and  the  occu- 
pants uninjured. 

Buildings  were  also  destroyed  and  the 
farms  of  Mr.  Miller,  Mr.  Oyler,  Mr.  Jonas 
Kemmerer  and  Mr.  Perkins ;  also  the  school 
house  known  as  the  Perkins'  school  house 
was  completely  demolished,  and  here  near 
the  Perkins  home  is  where  the  storm  seems 
to  have  lifted  up  and  sailed  away,  and  so 
far  as  the  writer  has  been  able  to  ascertain, 
no  other  damage  was  inflicted  by  this  storm. 

The  writer  will  not  attempt  to  make  any 
deductions  from  this  great  and  wonderful 
phenomena  of  nature,  but  has  sought  to 
give  in  detail,  as  best  he  could,  the  peculiar- 
ities of  this  wonderful  cloud,  with  its  move- 
ments and  effects,  and  such  incidents  as  ap- 
pear strange  or  peculiar,  so  that  every  one 
wdio  reads  this  article  may  study  and  deter- 
mine for  himself,  if  he  can,  how  or  why 
nature  moves  in  such  wondrous  ways. 

The  writer  has  not  attempted  to  give  a 
description  of  the  entire  amount  of  prop- 
erty that  was  destroyed,  but  it  is  sufficient 
to  say  that  in  this  county  hundreds  of  valu- 
able animals  and  much  valuable  property, 
amounting  in  all  to  prol)ably  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars,  were  destroyed  by  this 
wonderful  cyclone. 

The  impressions  made  l)y  this  storm  upon 
the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  residing  in  this 
vicinity  perhaps   never   will  be  eradicated ; 


the  people  prepared  caves  and  regulated 
their  cellars  for  protection,  and  for  years 
afterwards,  upon  the  approach  of  almost 
every  storm,  the  people  sought  refuge  in 
these  caves  and  cellars,  and  it  is  well,  for 
there  seems  to  be  no  protection  from  them 
except  by  taking  refuge  in  a  cave  or  cellar. 

Christian  County's  Heroes  in  War. 

The  people  of  this  locality,  before  and 
after  the  county  was  organized,  have  al- 
ways shown  themselves  to  be  loyal,  brave 
and  true  to  the  interests  of  their  county,  and 
have  at  all  times  been  ready  and  willing 
to  make  all  necessary  sacrifices  for  the  good 
of  the  country.  She  has  furnished  her  quota 
of  soldiers  for  the  Black  Hawk  war  of 
1832,  the  Mexican  war,  the  Civil  war  and 
the  Spanish  war,  and  no  history  of  the 
county  would  ])e  complete  without  giving  a 
detailed  history  of  those  of  its  citizens  who 
eng-ae-ed  in  these  recent  wars.  While  it  is 
true,  it  is  to  some  extent  a  matter  merely 
of  statistics,  yet  these  are  very  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  many  of  the  people  of  our  county, 
and  should  be  recorded,  even  though 
lengthy. 

These  statistics  have  been  collected  by  a 
former  historian  of  this  county,  for  all  of 
the  wars  except  the  Spanish-American  w'ar, 
and  w^ill  be  given  as  therein  designated  xvith 
the  addition  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Spanish 
war. 

Before  entering  into  detail  of  the  causes 
and  results  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  we  give 
our  readers  a  brief  sketch  of  the  celebrated 
w-arrior  who  figured  so  conspicuously  in 
those  sanguinary  campaigns.  Macuta  Ma- 
hicatah  is  the  Indian  name  for  Black  Hawk. 
He  was  born  in  the  Sauk  village  in  the  year 
1767.  and  was  an  Indian  of  considerable  tal- 
ent and  sagacity,  shrewd  and  eloquent  in 
council;   he,   how'ever,   deported   himself  in 


84 


I'Asr  Axi)  i'KJ<:sEN'r 


that  (Icimirc.  "raxe  and  formal  manner  in- 
cident  tu  almost  all  Indians.  It  is  said  lie 
possessed  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinary 
strength,  hnt  slow  and  ]ilodding  jn  its  op- 
erations. In  comparison  he  conld  not  he 
classed  with  the  great  Indian  characters, 
such  as  riiilip.  Brant.  Logan.  l>cumseh 
and  such  illustrious  men.  \\y  the  ])ortraits 
of  him  now  extant,  the  reader  of  character 
will  readilv  ohserve  in  his  large,  high  fore- 
head and  the  lines  ^vorn  hy  care  in  his  face, 
massive  jaw  and  compressed  lips,  a  charac- 
ter indicati\e  of  more  than  ordinary  ability. 
I  lis  ambition  was  to  distinguish  himself  as 
a  great  warrior;  yet  he  was  merciful  to  the 
weak,  the  women  and  children.  The  only 
road  for  an  Indian  to  distinguish  himself 
and  become  a  great  man  is  in  war.  So  soon 
as  he  kills  an  enemy  he  may  paint  on  his 
blanket  a  blood  hand,  \vhich  will  entitle  him 
to  a  seat  in  the  councils.  In  1810  and  181 1 
Black  Hawk  and  comrades  were  "nursing 
their  wrath  to  keep  it  warm"  against  the 
whites.  A  party  of  Sacs,  by  invitation,  went 
to  see  the  prophet  of  Tippecanoe.  They  re- 
turned more  angry  against  the  Americans. 
A  party  of  W'innebagoes  had  massacred 
some  whites,  which  excited  for  murder  tlie 
Sac  band  headed  by  Black  Hawk.  A  pa.rt 
of  his  band  and  some  W'innebagoes  attacked 
h'ort  Madison  in  i.Sii.  but  were  repulsed. 
Black  Hawk  headed  the  Sacs  in  this  at- 
tack. 

In  i<Sij  emissaries  from  the  British  ar- 
rived at  Kock  Island  with  goods  and  se- 
cured Black  Hawk  with  five  hundred  war- 
riors to  go  with  Col.  Dixon  to  Canada. 
When  they  reached  Green  Bay  there  were 
assembled  there  bands  of  the  Ottowas,  Pot- 
tnwatcwfities,  ■>'Winnebagoes  and  Kickapoos. 
ulider!  the'lcommand  of  Col.  Dixon.  Black 
HiaUikMand-jliland  participated  in  the  battle 
oifi  RlivtniiRdJsin,  the  Lower  Sandusky  and 


other  places,  but,  getting  dissatisbed  with 
the  hiird  lighting  and  small  amount  of 
spoils,  he  and  twenty  comrades  left  for  the 
Sauk  \illage  at  Rock  Island,  where  he  re- 
mained for  many  years  at  peace,  with  the 
exce]jtion  of  a  small  battle  on  the  Quiver 
river  settlement  in  Missouri,  in  the  present 
limits  of  St.  Charles  county,  where  one 
white  man  and  an   Indian  were  killed. 

The  principal  cause  of  the  Indian  trou- 
bles in  '3 1 -'32,  better  known  as  the  Black 
Hawk  war,  was  the  determination  of  Black 
Hawk  and  his  band  to  remain  in  their  an- 
cient village,  located  on  Rock  river,  not 
far  from  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi. 
The  government,  having  some  time  previ- 
ously, by  ^'arious  treaties,  purchased  the  vil- 
lage and  the  whole  country  from  the  Sac 
and  Fox  tril)es  of  Indians,  had  some  of  these 
lands  surveyed,  and  in  1828  some  of  the 
lands  in  and  around  the  ancient  village  were 
sold  ;  the  collision  between  the  two  races  for 
the  possession  of  the  property  produced  the 
first  disturbance  between  the  Indians  and 
the  government.  Seeing  that  war  was  in- 
evitable, the  Governor  of  Illinois  made  a 
call  on  the  militia  of  the  state  for  seven 
hundred  men  on  the  26th  of  May,  183 1,  and 
appointed  Beardstown,  on  the  Illinois  river, 
as  the  place  of  rendezvous.  The  call  was 
responded  to  with  that  promptness  charac- 
teristic of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  state. 
Their  habits  of  life  were  such  that  all  were 
familiar  with  the  rifle.  After  marching 
eight  days,  the  mounted  militia  reached  a 
point  a  few  miles  below  the  Sac  village  on 
the  Mississippi,  where  they  joined  the 
United  States  forces  under  Gen.  Gaines  and 
encamped  in  the  evening.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  forces  marched  up  to  an  Indian  town 
])repared  to  give  the  enemy  battle,  but  in 
the  night  the  Indians  had  escaped  and 
crossed  the  Mississippi.     This  ended  Black 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


85 


Hawk's  Ijravadu  and  his  determination  to 
die  in  iiis  ancient  village.  The  number  of 
warriors  under  his  command  was  estimated 
at  from  four  to  six  hundred  men.  Black 
Hawk  and  his  hand  landed  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  a  few  miles  below^  Rock 
Island,  and  there  camped.  Gen.  Gaines 
sent  a  ])eremptory  order  to  him  and  his  war- 
riors that  if  he  and  his  men  did  not  come 
to  Rock  Island  and  make  a  treaty  of  peace 
he  would  march  his  troops  and  give  him 
battle  at  once.  *  *  *  In  a  few  days 
Black  Hawk  and  the  chiefs  and  head  men 
to  the  number  of  twenty-eight  appeared  in 
Fort  Armstrong,  and  on  the  30th  of  June, 
1831.  in  full  council  with  Gen.  Gaines  and 
Go\ernor  John  Reynolds,  signed  a  treaty  of 
peace. 

The  Black  Hawk  War  in   1832. 

During  the  winter  of  '31  and  '32  rumors 
were  rife  that  Black  Haw^k  and  his  band 
were  dissatisfied,  restless  and  preparing  for 
mischief.  A  chief  of  the  Winnebago  In- 
dians, w^ho  had  a  village  on  Rock  river, 
some  thirty  miles  al)ove  its  confluence  with 
the  Mississippi,  joined  Black  Hawk,  who 
was  located  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Father 
of  Waters.  The  chief  had  great  influence 
with  Black  Hawk  and  his  band.  He  made 
them  believe  that  all  the  tribes  on  Rock 
river  would  join  them,  and  that  together 
they  could  bid  defiance  to  the  whites.  By 
this  unwise  counsel  Black  Hawk  resolved 
to  re-cross  the  river,  wdiich  he  did  in  the 
winter  of  1832.  That  move  proved  to  be 
their  destruction.  Through  his  influence  and 
zeal,  Black  Hawk  encouraged  many  of  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes  to  join  him  at  the  head  of 
his  determined  warriors.  He  first  assem- 
bled them  at  old  Fort  Madison  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  subsecjuently  marched  them  up  the 
river  to  the  Yellow  Banks,  where  he  pitched 


his  tent  April  6,  1832.  This  armed  array 
of  savages  soon  alarmed  the  settlers,  and 
a  general  panic  spread  through  the .  whole 
frontier  from  the  Mississippi  to  Lake  Mich- 
igan. Many  settlers  in  terror  abandoned 
their  homes  and  farms,  and  the  Governor 
decided,  on  the  i6th  of  x\pril,  to  call  out  a 
large  number  of  volunteers  to  operate  in 
conjunction  with  Gen.  Atkinson,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  regular  forces  at  Rock 
Island.  The  Governor  ordered  the  troops 
to  rendezvous  at  Beardstowai  on  the  22d  of 
April. 

Among  those  who  enlisted  from  Chris- 
tian county  w'ere  Samuel  Wydick,  John  S. 
Sinnet,  Martin  Hanon,  Jake  Gragg,  Jesse 
Gragg,  John  Baker.  Shadrack  J.  Campbell 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  18 12,  and  also 
was  a  volunteer  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  in 
the  campaign  of  1832. 

The  force  marched  to  the  mouth  of  Rock 
river,  wdiere  Gen.  Atkinson  received  the 
volunteers  into  the  United  States  services 
and  assumed  command.  Black  Hawk  and 
his  warriors  w^ere  still  on  the  Rock  river. 

The  army  under  Atkinson  commenced  its 
march  up  the  river  on  the  9th  of  May.  Gov. 
Reynolds,  the  gallant  "Old  Ranger,"  re- 
mained with  the  army,  and  the  President 
recognized  him  as  a  Major-General,  and 
he  was  paid  accordingly.  His  presence  did 
much  toward  harmonizing  and  conciliating 
those  jealousies  which  generally  exist  be- 
tween volunteers  and  regular  troops.  Major 
John  A.  Wakefield  and  Col.  Ewing  acted  as 
spies  for  a  time  in  the  campaign  of  '32  to 
discover  the  location  of  the  enemy  if  possi- 
ble. A  Mr.  Kinney  acted  as  guide  for 
them ;  he  understood  the  Sac  dialect.  On 
the  14th  of  May,  1832,  Major  Stillman's 
command  had  a  sort  of  running  battle  with 
the  Indians  at  or  near  wdiat  is  now  known 
as  Stillman's  Run,  a  small  sluggish  stream ; 


8G 


PAS  r  AND  PRESENT 


in  the  eng'agenicnl  eleven  wliilc  men  and 
eight  Indians  were  killed.  I'.lark  I  lawk  and 
his  warriors  fought  with  the  spirit  Ixirn  ot 
desperatii  m.  lUack  llawk  says  in  his  Ixuik 
that  he  tried  at  Slilhnan's  Run  to  call  hack 
his  warriors,  as  he  thought  the  whites  were 
making  a  sham  retreat  in  order  to  draw  him 
into  an  amimscade  i>\  the  whole  army  under 
Gen.  Whiteside. 

The  hasty  retreat  and  rout  of  Stillman 
and  his  armv  was,  in  a  measure,  demoraliz- 
ing to  the  entire  force;  undoul)tedly  the 
cause  of  the  defeat  was  a  lack  of  discipline. 
When  Gov.  Reynolds  learned  of  the  disas- 
ter of  Major  Stillman.  he  at  once  ordered 
out  two  thousand  additional  volunteers. 
With  that  promptitude  characteristic  of  the 
old  "War  Governor,"  he  wrote  out  by  can- 
dle-light on  the  evening  of  Stillman's  de- 
feat the  (M'der  for  the  additional  troops,  and 
by  daylight  dispatched  John  Ewing,  Robert 
Blackwell  and  John  A.  Wakefield  to  distrib- 
ute the  order  to  the  various  counties.  The 
\-oluntecrs  again  ]iromptly  responded.  On 
the  loth  of  July  the  army  cbsbanded  for 
want  of  i)ro\isions.  Gen.  Scott  arrived  soon 
after  with  a  large  force  at  the  post  of  ("hi- 
cago,  to  effect  if  possible  a  treaty  wdtb  the 
Indians.  Small  detachments  of  Black 
Hawk's  warriors  would  persistently  hang 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  main  body  of  the 
ami}-,  thie\e  and  plunder,  and  pounce  upon 
and  kill  the  lonely  sentinel  or  straggling 
soldier.  On  the  T5th  of  July  the  soldiers 
were  reviewed  and  those  incapable  of  duty 
were  discharged  and  returned  home.  Po- 
quette,  a  half-l)reed,  and  a  W'innebag-o 
chief,  the  "White  Pawnee,"  were  selected 
for  guides  to  the  camp  of  Black  Hawdv  and 
band.  Several  battles  and  skirmishes  oc- 
curred with  the  enemy,  the  i)rinci]:)al  of 
which  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
where  the  w  .arriors  fought  with  great  des- 


])eralion:  o\er  one  hundred  and  fifty  were 
killed  in  the  engagement  and  large  numbers 
drowned  in  attempting  to  swim  the  river. 
After  the  battle  the  xolunteers  were  marched 
to  Dixon,  where  ihey  were  discharged.  This 
ended  the  campaign  and  the  lilack  Hawk 
war.  At  the  battle  oi  the  Bad  Axe,  Black 
1  lawk  and  some  of  his  warriors  escaped  the 
Americans  and  went  U])  the  Wisconsin 
ri\er.  laU  subsequently  surrendered  him- 
self, h'ort  Armstrong,  on  Rock  Island,  was 
the  i)lace  appointed  where  a  treaty  would 
he  made  with  the  Indians,  but  before  it  was 
ciTected  that  dreadful  scourge,  the  cholera. 
of  '32  \isited  not  only  the  regular  army, 
depleting  its  ranks  far  more  rapidly  than 
the  balls  of  the  Indians  had  done.  1mt  it  also 
soueht  out  its  manv  victims  in  the  duskv 
bands  of  the  Black  Hawk  tribe.  On  the  15th 
of  Sei)tember,  1832,  a  treaty  was  made  with 
the  Winnebago  Indians.  They  sold  out  all 
their  lands  in  Illinois  and  all  south  of  the 
Wisconsin  ri\-er  and  west  of  Green  Bay, 
and  the  goxernment  ga\'e  them  a  large  dis- 
trict of  country  west  of  the  Mississi])pi  and 
ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  seven  years, 
besides  i)ro\iding  free  schools  for  their  chil- 
dren for  twenty  years,  oxen,  agricultural 
implements,  etc.,  etc. 

Se]:)tember  21,  1832,  a  treaty  was  made 
with  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes,  on  which  they 
ceded  to  the  L^iited  States  the  tract  of  coun- 
try out  of  w  hich  a  few  years  afterwards  the 
state  of  Iowa  was  formed.  In  consideration 
of  the  above  cession  of  lands,  the  govern- 
ment ga\-e  them  an  annuity  of  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars  for  thirty  years,  forty  kegs  of 
tobacco  and  forty  barrels  of  salt,  more  gun- 
smiths, blacksmith  .shop,  etc..  etc. ;  six 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  for  immediate  sup- 
l^ort.  mostly  intended  for  the  Black  Hawk 
band. 

The  treaties  above  mentioned  terminated 


SOLDIERS'   MONUMENT 


Erected  at  Rosemond  Grove  Cemetery,  near  Rosemond,  Illinois.  Consisting  of 
a  pedestal  formed  from  a  single  granite  block,  surmounted  by  figure  in  bronze, 
after  the  design  of  Charles  J.  Mulligan,  sculptor.  The  gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Kitchell,  of  Pana,  111.    Dedicated  October  29.  1903. 

"  In  memory  of  the  Union  Soldiers  and  Sailors  and  of  their  Beloved  Commander  in  Chief  and 
Noblest  Friend,  Abraham  Lincoln." 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


87 


favorably  and  the  security  resulting  there- 
from gav-e  a  new  and  rapid  impetus  to  the 
development  of  the  state,  and  now  enter- 
prising towns  and  villages  and  beautiful 
farms  adorn  the  rich  and  alluvial  i)rairies 
that  before  were  (Mily  desecrated  by  the  wild 
bands  who  inhabited  them. 

The  Mexican  War. 

In  the  war  with  Mexico  in  1846-47  Illi- 
nois furnished  six  regiments  of  men  as  fol- 
lows:  First  regiment,  commanded  by  Col. 
John  y.  Hardin;  Second  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Col.  William  H.  Bissell ;  Third 
regiment,  commanded  1)y  Col.  Ferris  For- 
man ;  Fourth  regiment,  commanded  by  Col. 
Edward  D.  Baker;  Fifth  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Col.  James  Collins ;  Sixth  regi- 
ment, commanded  by  Col.  Edward  W.  New- 
by. 

As  the  records  have  not  yet  been  trans- 
cribed from  the  War  Department  at  Wash- 
ington, we  have  had  to  rely  solely  on  the 
facts  furnished  by  those  now  living  in  the 
county  who  served  in  the  war. 

This  county  had  no  regular  organization 
in  that  war,  Imt  had  several  volunteers,  who 
enlisted  in  other  regiments.  A  company 
was  raised  and  rei)orted  liy  its  captain,  H. 
M.  Vandeveer,  l)ut  it  was  not  accepted  as 
the  companies  and  regiments  were  all  or- 
ganized. Several  of  her  sons,  however,  en- 
tered the  ranks  and  did  good  service  for 
their  country  in  helping  forward  the  cause 
in  which  they  were  enlisted.  H.  M.  Van- 
deveer liecome  assistant  (|uartermaster',  with 
the  rank  of  captain.  He  was  at  the  liattle 
oi  Buena  Vista  on  Gen.  Wool's  statT,  and 
bore  Gen.  Taylor's  famous  dispatch,  "A  lit- 
tle more  grape,  Capt.  Bragg."  Among  those 
who  went  to  that  war  from  this  county  (and 
some  others  who  have  been  residents  of 
this  county)  may  be  mentioned  Dial  Davis, 


John  Sanders  and  Wesley  White,  who  en- 
listed in  the  Fourth  regiment,  Company  C, 
commanded  l)y  Capt.  Isaac  C.  Pugh  ;  George 
Horworth,  enlisted  in  Company  A,  same 
regiment;  Christopher  C.  Hollier,  enlisted 
in  Company  E,  Fourth  regiment ;  Henry 
Sanders  and  J.  W.  Wise  in  Capt.  Roberts' 
company;  A.  P.  Miller,  enlisted  in  Capt. 
Hurt's  company ;  others  were  Reuben  Wil- 
kinson, Joseph  Wydick,  Henry  Sharp,  John 
Sharp,  Fletcher  Haines,  James  C.  Christian, 
Henry  Ferguson,  John  Craig. 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion  commenced 
with  the  firing  or.  Fort  Sumpter  in  April, 
1861,  and  ended  with  the  surrender  of  Gen. 
Lee  and  his  army  to  Gen.  Grant,  near  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1865.  The 
war  over,  at  once  the  reduction  of  the  army 
began.  Illinois  had  in  the  field  156  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  seventeen  regiments  of 
cavalry,  and  two  regiments  of  light  artil- 
lery. The  total  aggregate  force  in  the  field 
was:  in  infantry,  185,941;  cavalry,  32,082; 
artillery,  'y,2'// — making  a  grand  total  of 
225,300.  men.  Apprehensions  were  ex- 
pressed by  many  that  the  disbanding  of  so 
many  soldiers  among  the  people,  fresh  from 
the  army,  and  the  withdrawal  of  all  military 
restraint  and  control  over  them  would  be 
productive  of  disorder,  misrule  and  crime 
to  an  unprecedented  degree  in  the  country. 
But  time  has  shown  that  all  such  anticipa- 
tions and  fears  were  groundless ;  for  with 
a  wonderful  rapidity  these  vast  armies  of 
the  Union  melted  away  and  returned  to  their 
varied  peaceful  ])ursuits  of  civil  life;  and 
the  "legions  that  a  few  years  ago,  in  num- 
ber, in  solidity,  discipline  and  proof  were 
without  antetype  in  the  world's  history,  may 
today  be  fcmnd-  in  the  work-shop,  at  the 
bench,   in  the  busy  marts  of  trade,   in  tlie 


88 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


manufactories  and  on  the  larm ;  and  their 
memljers  have  manifested  to  tlic  world  that, 
as  citizens  at  home,  they  know  as  well  how 
to  respect  the  nation's  laws  as  they  know 
how  to  vindicate  them  in  the  field  against 
armed  rehellion  or  invading  forces." 

Draft. 

At  first  it  was  determined  to  rely  upon 
the  spontaneous  movement  of  the  people  to 
furnish  the  necessary  quotas  of  soldiers  by 
volunteering,  but  this  w^as  found  inadequate, 
and  the  magnitude  of  the  contest  made  it 
necessary  to  resort  to  the  draft.  This  was 
very  unpopular  and  distasteful  to  the  peo- 
ple. Every  appliance  was  made  to  evade 
it.  Desertions  were  not  infrequent.  But 
the  strong  arm  of  the  government  enforced 
the  measure.  The  draft  was  based  on  the 
census  of  i860.  Christian  county  had  a 
population  of  10,475.  Several  enrollments 
were  made.  The  first,  in  1863,  show^ed  a 
force  of  2,155  persons  subject  to  military 
duty  in  this  county ;  a  second  enrollment  in 
1864  showed  2,512  men.  The  latter  en- 
rollment was  viewed  with  distrust  and 
looked  upon  as  excessive,  inasmuch  as  it 
exhibited  a  marked  increase,  when,  during 
the  same  time,  the  county  had  been  depleted 
of  large  numbers  who  had  already  entered 
the  service.  "■   % 

The  officers  in  charge  of  the  duty,  act- 
ing under  instructions,  took  in  all  classes 
between  the  ages  of  21  and  45;  the  blind, 
the  hall  and  ilie  lame,  without  regard  to 
their  manifest  unfitness  for  military  duty; 
thus  putting  them  to  unnecessary  trouble 
and  expense  to  be  excused.  A  revised  en- 
rollment was  demanded,  and  made  January 
1st,  which  reduced  the  number  to  1.5.32 
men. 

President  Lincoln  called  for  300,000  men 
October  18,  1863;  for  500,000  February  i. 


1864;  for  200,000  March  4,  1864;  for  500,- 
000  July  18,  1864;  for  300,000  December 
19,  1864 — in  all  1.800,000.  Illinois'  cjuota, 
177,747.  Christian  county's  quota,  1,449; 
raised  by  volunteers  and  draft  1,369 — leav- 
ino-  a  deficit  of  80  when  the  war  closed,  and 
recruiting  ceased  by  order  of  the  Secretary 
of  War,  under  date  of  April  13,  1865. 

The  first  draft  was  ordered  to  be  made 
September  19,  1864,  in  the  several  precincts 
in  the  county  where  the  quota  had  not  been 
filled  by  volunteers.  Silas  Chadwick  and 
James  M.  Crabb  were  among  the  con- 
scripted from  the  Taylorville  precinct.  Silas 
Chadwick  was  killed  soon  after  the  battle 
of  Franklin,  Tennessee,  and  James  M. 
Crabb  furnished  a  substitute  at  a  cost  of 
$500,  paid  by  himself.  The  county  did  not 
come  to  the  relief  of  those  first  drafted,  but 
reser\'ed  its  charity  for  the  benefit  of  those 
taken  in  the  second  draft,  at  Jacksonville, 
under  the  call  of  December  19,  1864.  The 
course  adopted  was  manifest  injustice  to 
those  first  drafted.  All  drafted  men  in  the 
county  should  have  shared  alike  in  its  ben- 
efits. 

The  quota  of  Christian  county,  under  the 
call  of  December  19,  1864,  was  257,  appor- 
tioned to  the  precincts  as  follows : 
Sub.  Dist's. 

No.  Precincts.                               Quotas. 

19.  Buckhart 38 

20.  Stonington    18 

21.  Pana    12 

22.  North   Fork    42 

23.  Tacusa    (Assumption)     19 

24.  Rosemond 9 

25.  Low^er   Bear  Creek 19 

26.  Taylorville    , 51 

27.  Nevada   •#.....  12 

28.  Upper   Bear   Creek 12 

29.  Lower  South  Fork 16 

30.  Locust 9 

Total     257 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


89 


The  County  court  in  special  session  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1865,  adopted  measures  looking 
to  the  relief  of  the  257  conscripted  men  of 
this  county.  They  ordered  a  tax  of  $2.50  on 
the  one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  taxal^le 
property  of  the  county,  and  directed  a  boun- 
ty of  $350  to  be  paid  to  any  volunteer  or 
drafted  man  until  the  quota  of  the  county 
was  filled.  The  bonds  were  issued  in  March, 
payable  in  one  year.  The  war  closed,  and 
all  recruiting  was  ordered  by  the  war  de- 
partment to  be  suspended  on  April  15,  1865. 
But  149  bonds  had  been  issued,  aggregating 
a  cost  to  the  county  of  $52,150,  and  inter- 
est of  $5,215.  The  public  mind  was  restive 
about  the  bonds.  The  County  court,  at  their 
December  term,  1865,  appointed  H.  M.  Van- 
deveer  and  Jas.  C.  Morrison  as  agents  to 
examine  the  records  and  ascertain  the  num- 
ber of  men  furnished  by  this  county,  who 
would  legally  be  entitled  to  the  war  bonds. 
When  Richmond  fell  on  the  first  of  April, 
1865.  not  a  bond  had  gone  out  of  the  office 
of  the  county  clerk.  Prominent  men  of  the 
county  urged  the  withholding  of  the  bonds 
for  a  few  days  to  see  the  issue  of  events. 
But  it  was  not  heeded.  Those  in  charge 
of  the  matter  at  Jacksonville  managed,  in 
the  course  of  ten  days,  to  throw  out  149 
war-bonds,  and  burden  the  county,  at  their 
maturity,  with  a  debt  of  $57,365.  These 
agents  were  appointed  to  probe  the  matter 
to  its  bottom.  They  re])orted  to  the  court 
that  "they  had  made  some  progress  in  re- 
gard to  the  number  of  bonds  issued,  but 
they  encountered  difficulties  at  Springfield, 
as  Col.  Oakes  had  packed  up  the  papers  to 
send  to  the  war  department,  but  proffered  all 
the  aid  he  could  furnish  in  the  premises." 

A  tax  was  levied  by  the  County  court, 
and  the  bonds  paid  off  at  maturity  in  1866, 
without  the  citizens  seemingly  feeling  it. 


Soldiers'  Aid  Society. 

A  society  under  this  caption  was  organ- 
ized by  the  ladies  of  Taylorville.  Its  object 
was  to  furnish  mittens,  socks  and  articles 
for  the  hospital,  for  the  use,  benefit  and 
comfort  of  the  "sodger  Ijoys  gone  to  the 
wars"  from  this  portion  of  the  county. 
Their  object  was  laudable;  and  it  was  very 
natural  for  a  mother's  heart  to  feel  for  her 
boy  as  the  cold,  bleak  days  of  winter  began 
to  approach.  How  cold  would  be  his  hands 
as  he  bore  his  musket  in  the  weary  marches 
of  the  day.  They  held  their  meetings  fre- 
(juently,  and  entered  on  their  work  with 
commendable  zeal,  and  soon  had  a  box  of 
these  necessary  articles  prepared  and  sent 
forward  to  the  front.  The  "boys  in  blue" 
were  then  camped  at  Rolla,  Mo.,  and  were 
glad  to  think  they  were  held  in  dear  remem- 
l)rance  at  home;  l)ut  the  United  States  com- 
missary had  anticipated  the  ladies  in  fur- 
nishing these  comforts. 

The  officers  of  the  society  were  Mrs.  Dr. 
Goudy,  President;  Mrs.  W.  W.  Anderson, 
Vice  President ;  Mrs.  Dr.  Rockwell,  Secre- 
tary ;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Goodrick,  Treasurer,  and 
Hattie  Goodrick,  Mrs.  Maj.  Shumway  and 
Mrs.  Paden,  Directresses. 

14TH  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  organized  under  the 
call  of  May  15,  1861,  and  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service  for  three 
years  at  Jacksonville,  111.,  on  the  25th  of 
May,  1 86 1.  It  remained  at  Camp  Duncan, 
Jacksonville,  until  the  latter  part  of  June, 
for  instruction,  when  it  moved  to  Quincy, 
and  thence  to  Missouri,  July  5th,  where  it 
did  good  service.  It  left  Rolla,  Mo.,  for 
Jefferson  City,  under  Gen.  Fremont,  on  his 
memorable  campaign  to  Springfield,  Mo., 
after  Gen.  Price,  and  went  intO'  winter  quar- 


!MI 


PAST  AND  PRKSKNT 


ters  at  Olterville.  In  l-cljruary,  1862,  it 
was  ordered  to  Vnv[  IXmelson,  and  ar- 
rived the  (lav  after  its  surrender,  and  was 
placed  in  Cien.  S.  A.  Hurlburt's  brigade. 
C0I.  Palmer  was  promoted  to  brigadier-gen- 
eral, and  Major  Hall  was  made  colonel.  It 
was  in  the  sanguinary  engagements  of  the 
fttli  and  7th  of  April,  1861,  when  the  regi- 
ment lirst  smelled  gunpowder  from  the  en- 
emy. Here  it  lost  half  its  number.  The 
colors  had  forty-two  bullet  holes  through 
them,  which  attest  the  dangers  and  gallan- 
try of  the  command.  It  was  in  the  last 
grand  charge,  in  the  advance  led  by  Col. 
Hall,  on  the  evening  oi  the  7th  of  April, 
that  (len.  Veatch,  in  his  official  report,  says: 
"Col.  Plall,  of  the  14th  Illinois,  led  his  regi- 
ment in  that  gallant  charge  on  Monday 
evening,  which  drove  the  enemy  beyond  our 
lines  and  closed  the  struggle  of  that  mem- 
orable day." 

The  regiment  took  an  active  part  in  the 
siege  of  Corinth.  After  the  evacuation  it 
proceeded  to  Memphis,  and  thence  to  Bo- 
livia, Tenn.  It  was  in  an  eight-hours  fight 
on  the  Hatchic  ri\cr.  and  went  into  winter 
quarters,  1862-3.  at  Lafayette,  Tenn.  Early 
in  the  spring  it  was  ordered  to  Vicksburg, 
where  it  took  part  in  the  siege  of  that 
stronghold,  until  its  final  fall  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1863.  It  was  at  the  siege  of  Jack- 
son, Miss.  In  August  it  moved  to  Natchez, 
and  from  thence  across  the  swamps  of  north- 
ern Louisiana  to  Harrisonville,  on  the  Wa- 
chita  river;  captured  Fort  Beauregard  and 
accompanied  (len.  Sherman  on  his  raid  on 
Meridian,  Miss. 

After  its  return,  a  Inrge  portion  re-en- 
listed as  veterans,  their  time  being  nearly 
out.  The  \eterans  were  furloughed,  and 
many  returned  home.  On  their  return  they 
formed  part  of  the  army  in  advance  on  At- 
lanta.    Here  the  14th  rmd  15th  Illinois,  who 


were  together  since  the  fall  of  1862,  sharers 
of  each  others'  son-ow  s  and  joys,  weary 
marches  and  hcjuorably  earned  laurels,  were 
consolidated  into  the 

14T11  AND  15T11  Illinois  Veteran 
Battalion. 

In  October,  1864,  rebel  (ien.  Hood  at- 
tacked Gen.  Sherman's  rear  forces,  guard- 
ing the  railroad,  when  a  large  number  of 
the  battalion  were  killed,  and  the  major  part 
of  the  balance  were  taken  prisoners  and 
sent  to  Anderson vi lie  prison.  Those  who 
escaped  capture  were  mounted  and  acted  as 
scouts  on  Gen.  Sherman's  grand  march 
through  Georgia  to  the  sea,  ami  were  at  the 
battle  of  Bentonville,  N.  C. 

At  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  in  the  spring  of 
1865,  the  battalion  organization  was  dis- 
continued ;  and  seven  one-year  companies, 
new  recruits  were  assigned  March,  1865, 
from  the  north  to  fill  up  the  two  regiments. 
Col.  Hall  was  again  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  14th  regiment.  It  was  in  the 
grand  review  of  Sherman's  army  at  Wash- 
ington City,  May  24,  1865.  It  then  pro- 
ceeded by  rail  and  river  to  Louisville,  Ky. ; 
thence  by  rail  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan- 
sas ;  thence  marched  to  Fort  Kearney  and 
back.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas,  September  16,  1865,  arriv- 
ing at  Springfield,  Illinois,  September  22, 
1865,  wdiere  it  received  final  payment  and 
discharge.  The  commanding  officer  at  the 
close  of  service  was  Brevet  Brig.-Gen.  Cyrus 
Hall,  and  the  aggregate  strength  since  or- 
ganization, 2,015. 

The  aggregate  number  of  men  who  be- 
longed to  the  14th  regiment  was  1,980.  and 
the  aggregate  mustered  out  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth was  480. 

Durino-  its  four  vears  and  foiu"  months 
of    arduous    service    the    regiment    marched 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


Ul 


4,490  miles,  traveled  by  rail  2,380  miles, 
and  by  river,  4,490  miles — making  an  ag- 
gregate of   11,360  miles. 

In  this  regiment  was  Company  H,  from 
Christian  county,  commanded  by  Capt.  An- 
drew Simpson,  who  was  wounded  at  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  in  the  battles  of  the  6th  and 
7th  of  April,  1862 — and  in  consecjuence 
thereof  resigned  October  4.  1862.  This 
company  participated  in  all  tlie  hardships 
and  battles  before  described. 

The  company  was  organized,  under  many 
adverse  circumstances,  after  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter.  It  was  then  styled  "The  Chris- 
tian Union  Guards." 

The  hide  pendent  Press  of  April  19,  1861, 
says  of  it :  "Immediately  upon  the  receipt  of 
Gov.  Yates'  proclamation,  calling  out  six 
regiments  of  volunteers,  several  chi\'alric 
young  men  of  Taylorville,  inspired  with  pa- 
triotic ardor,  promptly  set  about  forming  a 
light  infantry  corps;  and,  upon  the  fact  be- 
coming known  about  town,  the  annexed  can- 
didates for  martial  glory  came  forward  and 
signed  the  muster  roll : 

Andrew  Simpson,  Edward  Percy,  John 
Durbin  (Biscuit),  Robert  E.  Doyle,  John 
McKenzie,  D.  R.  Jay.  John  W.  Hartley, 
Silas  B.  Root,  Reuben  A.  Beard,  John  G. 
Haines,  A.  E.  Barnes. 

"Mr.  John  W.  Hartley  is  acting  as  a  re- 
cruiting officer  during  the  absence  of  Mr. 
Simpson,  who  has  gone  to  Springfield  to 
see  Gov.  Yates  on  matters  pertaining  to 
the  organization  of  the  company.  On  Mr. 
Simpson's  return,  Mr.  Hartley  assures  us 
the  Light  Infantry  corps  will  have  a  'grand 
rally.'  " 

One  of  the  men  who  signed  the  call  was 
not  in  sympathy  with  the  cause,  and  prob- 
ably did  it  in  burlesque  as  will  appear  from 
the  following  published  in  the  Press  of  the 
same  date : 


"A  Card  to  the  Christian  Public/'' 

"Mr.  Editor :  To  put  myself  right  be- 
fore the  world,  I  deem  it  due  alike  to  my 
character  as  a  man  and  my  standing  as  a 
democrat  and  a  patriot  to  state  that  I  signed 
the  muster  roll  of  the  Light  Infantry  com- 
pany, now  forming"  at  Taylorv^ille,  only  con- 
ditionally. I  will  state  my  conditions,  and 
leave  it  to  impartial  posterity  to  pronounce 
me  'sound  upon  the  goose.' 

"ist.  I  will  not  join  the  army  of  coercion 
if  Dick  Yates  appoints  the  officers. 

"2d.  I  will  join  if  the  members  of  the 
company  are  allowed  the  privilege  of  elect- 
ing their  own  officers — company  and  regi- 
mental. 

"3d.  I  will  continue  with  the  company 
'for  and  during  the  war' — provided  I  am 
elected  captain. 

"4th.  If  I  am  not  elected  captain  of  the 
company,  I'll  see  'the  institution'  d — d  first, 
before  I  budge  a  step  from  Taylorville.  I 
have  no  idea  of  setting  myself  up  as  a  tar- 
get to  l^e  shot  at  for  the  insignificantly-con- 
temptilile  sum  of  $11  a  month,  rations  and 
medical  attendance  thrown  in.  No-sir-ee, 
Bob;  not  in  the  day  time. 

"R.  A.  Beard. 

"P.  S. — If  the  above  arrangement  is  not 
entirely  satisfactory  to  my  brave  compan- 
ions in  arms  of  the  Taylorville  Light  In- 
fantry corps  I  shall  remain  at  home  and 
continue,  as  usual,  to  build  houses  and  stairs 
— cheap  for  cash  or  country  produce. 

"R.  A.  B." 

Taylorville,  April   19,   1861. 

Whilst  this  chivalric  gentleman  of  tem- 
porary residence  in  Christian  was  sending 
forth  broadcast  this  ironical  patriotic  letter, 
tending  to  embarrass  Capt.  Simpson  in  his 
recruiting  efiforts,  on  the  same  day  a  class 
of  his  way  of  thinking  were  shooting  down 
a  portion  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment  in 
Baltimore,  on  their  way  to  Washington  City 
to  protect  the  capitol  of  the  nation  from  seiz- 
ure by  the  enemy. 

A  union  meeting  was  held  in  Pana,  April 
22,   1865,  at  which  Rev.  H.  R.  Lewis  pre- 


92 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


sided,  and  riddresses  were  made  by  J.  H. 
O'Connor,  (Ico.  K.  Pease,  j.  E.  Southwick 
and  others.  A  series  of  resolutions  were 
passed  without  a  dissenting  voice.  The  /;/- 
dependent  Press,  in  commenting  on  it,  says: 
"The  fourth  smells  strongly  of  gunpowder 
and  subjugation."  It  further  says:  "John 
B.  Butler,  well  and  favor.ahly  known  to  the 
people  of  Christian,  has  abandoned  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  life,  donned  a  military 
attire,  and  like  a  'howld  sojer  boy;  as  he 
is.  gone  ofif  to  the  wars,  gaily  singing  as  he 
went  the  |)atriotic  old  ditty  of — 


a  i 


Come  all  ye  lirave  Americans, 
I'd  have  you  for  to  know 
That  for  to  fight  the  enemy 


Pm  goin'  for  to  go.'  ' 


But  Cai)t.  Simpson  succeeded  in  raising 
his  company,  composed  of  12  officers  and 
65  privates.  They  were  duly  organized  and 
ready  for  the  march  on  the  loth  of  May, 
1861.  The  citizens  of  Taylorville  gave 
them  a  sumptuous  collation  on  that  day  at 
the  courthouse.  On  that  occasion  the  ladies 
were  more  than  soldiers,  vieing  with  each 
other  in  doing  honors  for  the  brave  boys. 
Speeches  were  made  by  H.  M.  Vandeveer, 
C.  Goudy,  D.  T.  Moore,  T3.  E.  Hall  and 
W'm.  Singer.  A  select  choir,  under  the  di- 
rection of  A.  S.  Rockwell,  sang  the  beauti- 
ful airs,  Star  Sj^angled  Banner,  Red,  White 
and  l)lue,  y\uld  Lang  Syne,  on  the  court- 
house steps;  after  which  D.  T.  Moore,  on 
behalf  of  the  ladies,  i)resented  a  beautiful 
flag,  accompanied  with  a  neat  and  appropri- 
ate speech.  Maj.  D.  D.  Shumway,  as  ex- 
pressive of  his  good  wishes,  presented  to 
the  company,  through  Ca])t.  Simpson  $20  in 
gold. 

The  company  marched  to  Pana  on  that 
day  and  took  the  cars  on  the  Central  rail- 
road.    A  good  dinner  was  served  up  to  the 


boys  in  blue  at  Pana.  They  moved  by  rail 
to  Decatur  the  same  evening,  where  they 
were  jammed  into  two  freight  cars  and 
rolled  away  to  Jackson\'ille.  The  company 
was  mustered  into  service  on  the  25th  of 
May,  i<Sr)i,  and  went  into  (|urirters  at  Camp 
Duncan.  The  boys  then  oi)ened  the  "Mys- 
terious box"  sent  along  with  the  commis- 
sary department  filled  with  cake  and  other 
nice  things.  This  disposed  of,  the  company 
gave  "three  cheers  and  a  tiger"  to  the  ladies 
of  Taylorville. 

The  14th  regiment,  Illinois  volunteers,  as 
sworn  into  the  United  States  service  at  Jack- 
sonville, PL,  May  25,  1861,  for  three  years. 
Jno.  M.  Palmer,  colonel. 

Muster-roll  of  Company   H : 

Andrew  Simpson,  captain,  resigned  Oc- 
tober 4,  1862 ;  John  W.  Hartley,  ist  lieu- 
tenant, resigned  May  21,  1862;  Oliver  P. 
Squiers,  2d  lieutenant,  promoted  captain; 
Z.  Payson  Shumway,  ist  sergeant,  promoted 
2(1  and  ist  lieutenant,  mustered  out  1864; 
James  W.  Reed,  sergeant,  drowned  July, 
1861 ;  Henry  McKenzie,  sergeant,  mustered 
out  October  31,  1864;  Edw.  W.  Percy,  ser- 
geant ;  Charles  Poleman,  corporal ;  John  C. 
Isbell,  cor])oral;  Elias  C.  Banning,  corporal; 
John  Durbin  (Biscuit),  corporal;  Edwin  A. 
Salter,  corporal,  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6, 
1862;  Robert  M.  Logan,  corporal,  dropped 
from  the  rolls  October  29,  1863;  Geo.  M. 
Lunison,  corporal ;  Charlesworth  Powel, 
wagoner,  promoted  ist  lieutenant,  then  ad- 
jutant; Edgar  Chapman,  musician;  Morris 
Ray,  musician,  rc-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Wm. 
T.  Brawley,  pri\ate.  died  July  30,  1862; 
Andrew  U.  Behimer,  private;  Uriah  Barofif, 
])ri\ate;  Wm.  \V.  Baldman,  private,  mus- 
tered out  October  21,  1864;  Christopher  C. 
Bonds,  private,  mustered  out  October  31, 
1864;  John  D.  Bankston,  private;  James  M. 
Bisby,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;    de- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


93 


serted  1865;  Wm.  T.  Blythe,  private;  Wm. 
C.  Broadshaw,  private;  Almond  F.  Barnes, 
private;  Chas.  \V.  W.  Clark,  private;  Hen- 
ry  Ciindiff,   private,    re-enlisted   as   veteran 
M.  O.  July,  1865  ;  Henry  H.  Campbell,  pri- 
vate,   re-enlisted    as     veteran;     Robert    E. 
Doyle,   private;    William     Drory,    private; 
William  Thomas  Elam.  private,   promoted 
corporal,   killed   at    Shiloh   April    6,    1862; 
East.    Cincinnatns.    private ;    Joseph    Free- 
man,   private;     William    George,    private: 
Lafayette    George,    private ;    Owne    Gillon, 
private;  Archibald  Hatchett,  private;  Chris- 
tian K.  Hamel,  private;  Benjamin  F.  Hal- 
ford,  private,    re-enlisted   as   veteran ;   Har- 
mon H.  Hatfield,  private;  Henry  H.  Hig- 
bee,  private  ;  W.  John  Herstm,  private;  Dan- 
iel R.  Jay,   private;  James  Kelso,  private, 
discharged   September   2,    1862,    disability; 
Samuel  Logan,   private,   re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  Alfred  Lovejoy,  private ;  Levi  Loser, 
private;   John    McKenzie,    private;    Samuel 
McKenzie,  committed  suicide  May  19,  1863  ; 
Thomas    Meeter,    private;    Cyrus    Murphy, 
private ;  Lyttle    McCracken,  private,  trans- 
ferred to  Inv.  Cor.  Oct.  21,  1863,  and  mus- 
tered out  Oct.  25,  1864;  Edmond  Malony, 
private;  Jefferson  Osborn,  private;  Eli  Par- 
rilh,     private,   discharged     Oct.    13,     1862; 
wounds;  Silas  H.  Polly,  private,  re-enlisted 
as  veteran ;  James  S.  Ruby,  private,  dropped 
from  rolls  Oct.  29,  1862;  Cyrus  Rush,  pri- 
vate, transferred  to  Inv.  Corps,  M.  O.,  May 
25,    1862;    Mortimer    Rice,  private;    Silas 
B.  Root,  private;  Corwin  Shephard,  private, 
discharged     Sept.     28,     1862;    James    ■  M. 
Stewart,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran:  Wm. 
O.   Stephens,  private,  discharged  Sept.   28, 
1862:  wounds:  Absalom  Stine,  private,  died 
in  Andersonville  prison,  Oct.  2,  1864. 

No.  of  Grave  10828  : 

Charles   Seelover,  private,   killed  at   Shi- 
loh,  April  6,    1862;  Albert  B.   Taylor,  pri- 


vate ;  Alexander  Thompson,  private :  Charles 
B.  Tettfick,  private;  Franklin  M.  Truster, 
private:  Alfred  Westbrooks,  private:  Rid- 
ley Westbrooks,  private:  Edward  Branch, 
recruit ;  Simon  Bartley,  recruit ;  Robert 
Burris,  recruit;  Paul  Connor,  recruit;  Hols- 
ton,  recruit ;  John  Meeter,  recruit,  see  Co.  A, 
veteran  battalion ;  John  McCracken,  recruit ; 
David  McLaughlin,  recruit ;  Anthony  Mans- 
field, recruit,  died  Sept.,  1862;  Jerry  Miller, 
recruit ;  Jesse  McKenzie,  recruit,  transferred 
to  Inv.  Cor.,  Oct.  21.  1863;  Matthew  Pers- 
inger,  recruit ;  Isaac  Rutledge,  recruit,  trans- 
ferred from  2d  Kansas  Co.  F,  Aug.  28, 
1861  ;  Sidney  Sweet,  recruit,  deserted  June 
25,  1865,  from  veteran  battalion;  Morris 
Ray,  recruit,  fife  major  in  14th  re-organ- 
ized infantry. 

Forty-first  Infantry   Regiment. 

Company  G,  of  this  regiment,  Francis  M. 
Long,  captain,  was  from  Christian  county. 
The  officers  of  the  regiment  w^ere :  Isaac  C. 
Pugh,  of  Decatur,  colonel ;  Ansel  Tupper, 
of  Decatur,  lieutenant  colonel,  killed  at  bat- 
tle of  Pittsburg  Landing,  April  6,  1862 ; 
Capt.  Francis  M.  Long,  of  Taylorville,  pro- 
moted major  and  killed  in  action,  near 
Jackson,  Miss.,  July  12,  1863 ;  AVilliam 
C.  B.  Gillispie,  of  Grove  City,  in  this  county, 
adjutant  from  March  17,  1862,  till  his  time 
expired,  August  20,  1864;  John  Baughman, 
of  Christian  county  quartermaster  from  Sep- 
tember 4,  1863,  till  his  time  expired,  August 
20,  1864. 

This  regiment  was  organized  by  the  sec- 
retary of  war,  in  July,  1861,  at  Decatur,  Til., 
on  the  9th  of  August,  1861.  August  7, 
Captain  Long's  company,  with  the  regiment, 
moved  to  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  the  29th,  moved 
to  Bird's  Point,  Mo.,  and  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  General  Prentiss ;  Septem- 
ber 8,  moved  to  Paducah,  Ky. ;  assigned  to 


L»4- 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


(Icn.  C  V.  Smith's  aminiaiul  November  6. 
1861  ;  marched  to  Melbourne  and  returned; 
to  Lovelettsville  and  returned  November 
K),  1861;  to  Crown  Tdinl  and  returned 
December  31.  1861. 

Three  members  of  Company  G  died  at 
Paducah.  Ky. :  Corporal  Wm.  M.  Petty,  Oc- 
tober 13.  1861,  of  typhoid  fc\cr.  was  brought 
home  and  buried,  on  Bear  Creek,  aged  23 
years:  Trrvate  John  M.  Jordan,  of  the  same 
company,  died  of  measles.  December  22. 
1861  ;  deceased  were  two  of  the  five  wh.o  \-ol- 
unteered  from  P.ear  Creek;  Jortlan  was  bur- 
ied at  Paducah,  Ky. ;  Geo.  B.  Ryan,  of  Tay- 
lorville,  died  at  Paducah,  Ky..  April  5.  1862; 
was  brought  home  and  now  sleeps  close  to 
his  captain  in  the  Oak  Hill  cemetery,  near 
Taylorville. 

b\'bruary  5,  1862.  the  regiment  took  up 
its  march  for  acii\e  service  to  Fort  Henry, 
and  on  the  1  ith  marched  to  Fort  Donelson, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  siege  under  Coloiiel 
McArthur,  on  the  13th.  14th  and  15th  days 
of  February.  1862.  None  of  Company  Ci 
were  killed  in  this  fight,  and  only  eight 
wounded.  The\r  names  were;  Ben  L. 
Bowles,  of  Rosemond,  in  his  leg;  Curtis 
Kimmerman,  of  Bear  Creek,"  in  the  leg; 
Sergt.  Robert  W.  Hopper,  of  Buckeye 
Prairie,  in  foot;  James  Brow-n,  of  Taylor- 
ville, in  finger,  and  the  others  slightly.  Fort 
Donelson  surrendered  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 6th  of  February,  1862. 

The  regiment  immediateU'  after  the  sur- 
render of  Fort  Donelson  moved  up  the  Ten- 
nessee river,  ddie  following  letter  from  ]. 
B.  Young,  a  private  in  Company  G.  under 
date  of  March  26,  1862.  to  a  friend  in  this 
county,  we  take  from  the  Independent  Press  : 

'A\'e  are  now  encamped  within  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  Pittsburg.  Tenn.,  near  the 
lines  of  the  states  of  Mississippi  and  Ala- 
bama.    There  are  about  ioc,ooo  men  here 


in  the  heart  of  'Dixie,"  ready  to  move  at 
an  hour's  notice  u])on  the  enemy.  The  Con- 
federates are  fortified,  about  80,000  strong, 
at  Corinth,  twenty  miles  west  of  us.  If 
the  do  not  evacuate  their  position  soon  you 
will,  perhaps,  hear  of  a  battle,  compared 
with  which  that  of  Fort  Donelson  was 
child's  play.  When  200.000  men  meet  in 
ccmtlict  'somebody  will  get  hurt.'  Our 
course,  in  all  probability,  will  be  westward 
to  the  city  of  Memphis.  This,  however,  is 
but  the  speculaion  of  a  'high  private'  in 
L'ncle  Sam's  army-rear  rank.  The  boys, 
from  exposure  to  wet.  fatigue,  hard  crack- 
ers and  bacon,  are  not  in  as  good  trim  for 
the  fray  as  might  l)e  desired.  But  the 
warm  spring  weather  and  the  forwardness 
of  vegetation  (for  the  peach  trees  have  been 
in  full  l)lossom  for  the  past  ten  days  and  the 
May  ai)ples  nearly  ready  to  bloom)  is  in- 
vigorating, and  the  health  (^f  the  troops 
shows  a  marked  improvement  since  we  land- 
ed  at   this  point. 

"We  were  nine  days  aboard  the  steam- 
b(^ats,  ex])osed  to  drenching  rains  most  of 
the  time.  Th.ere  were  one  h'undred  and  thir- 
tv-two  steamboats  of  the  largest  class  in  the 
line,  conveying  the  troops  and  military  stores 
up  the  river — the  4Tst  Regiment  and  Com- 
])anv  G  among  the  number.  The  country  is 
rolling  and  heavily  timbered.  In  the  valleys 
and  bottoms  there  are  canebrakes  and 
cvi)ress   swamps. 

"On  the  24th,  General  Buell's  divisic^i  of 
the  armv,  from  Cumberland  Gap.  by  the 
way  of  Nashville,  formed  a  juncti(Mi  with 
(ieneral  Grant's  forces,  at  Savannah,  fifteen 
nules  below  us,  on  the  Tennessee  river.  It 
we  succeed  in  taking  Island  No.  to  in  the 
Mississippi,  which  we  will,  most  likely. 
Corinth  will  be  evacuated  for  the  i)urpose  of 
strengthening  Fort  Randolph  and  Memphis. 
'We  shall  see  what  we  shall  see.'  " 


CHRISTIAN  GOUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


95 


The  l>att]e  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  or 
Shiloh,  as  named  in  official  reports,  was 
fought  on  Sunday  and  Monday,  April  6 
and  7.  i86j.  It  was  a  long  and  desperate 
conflict.  Lieut.  John  B.  Butler,  of  Com- 
pany G,  correspondent  of  the  Independent 
Press,,  of  Taylorville,  gives  the  following 
graphic  account  of  the  two  days'  battle: 

"General  Grant  has  been  concentrating 
his  forces  at  this  point  for  the  last  four 
weeks,  preparatoy  to  an  advance  upon  the 
enemy's  stronghold  at  Corinth,  Miss.  We 
were  only  waiting  a  junction  with  the  troops 
under  General  Buell  to  commence  the  work. 
The  enemy,  reported  130,000  strong,  en- 
deavored to  cut  us  off  before  General  Buell's 
arrival,  and  thereby  command  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  Tennessee  river,  give  his  troops 
the  spirit  and  eclat  of  a  victory,  cheer  and 
encourage  the  despondency  of  the  enemy, 
replenish  their  exhausted  ordnance  and  com- 
missary stores,  and  fight  General  Buell  at 
their  leisure.  They  have  been  signally  dis- 
appointed, although  they  fought  like  devils 
incarnate  for  thirty-six  hours. 

"On  Sunday  morning,  about  4  o'clock,  the 
enemy  drove  in  our  pickets,  and  the  can- 
nonading commenced  with  round  shot, 
shrapnel,  shells  and  otlier  projectiles,  grape, 
canister,  etc.  The  enemy  in  force  were  in 
the  camps  almost  as  soon  as  were  the  pickets 
themselves.  Here  began  scenes  which 
hardly  have  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  war. 
Many,  particularly  among  the  officers  of 
the  army,  were  not  yet  out  of  their  beds ; 
some  w^ere  dressing,  others  washing  and 
cooking:,  and  a  few  eating  their  breakfast. 
Many  guns  were  unloaded,  accoutrements, 
lying  pell-mell,  ammunition  was  ill-supplied 
- — in  short,  the  camps  were  completely  sur- 
prised— and  taken  at  almost  every  possible 
disadvantage. 

"The  first  wild  cries  from  the  pickets  rush- 


ing in,  and  the  few  scattering:  shots  that 
])receded  their  arrival,  aroused  the  regiments 
to  a  sense  of  their  peril:  an  instant  after- 
ward, rattling  v(illeys  of  musketry  poured 
through  our  tents  and  liefore  there  was 
thought  of  preparation  there  came  rush- 
ing through  the  woods,  with  lines  of  battle, 
swee]:)ing  the  whole  fronts  of  the  division 
camps  and  bending  down  on  either  flank, 
the  fine,  compact  columns  of  the  enemy. 

"Into  the  just-aroused  camps  of  the  union 
forces,  thronged  the  Confederate  regiments, 
firing  sharj)  Nolleys  as  they  came,  and 
springing  forward  upon  our  laggards  with 
the  bayonet:  for  while  their  artillery,  al- 
ready in  position,  was  tossing  shells  to  the 
further  side  of  the  encampment,  scores  were 
shot  down,  as  they  were  running  without 
weapons,  hatless,  coatless,  towards  the  river. 
The  searching  bullets  found  other  poor  un- 
fortunates in  their  tents  and  these,  unheed- 
ing- now,  thev  slumbered,  while  the  unseen 
foe  rushed  on.  Others  fell,  as  they  were 
disentangling  themselves  from  the  flaps  that 
formed  the  doors  to  their  tents;  others  as 
they  were  A-ainly  trying  to  impress  on  the 
critically  exultant  enemies  their  readiness  to 
surrender. 

"Officers  were  bayonetted  in  their  beds 
and  left  for  dead,  who.  through  the  whole 
two  days'  fearful  struggle,  lay  there  gasping 
in  their  agony,  and  on  Monday  evening  were 
found  in  their  gore,  inside  their  tents,  and 
still  able  to  tell  the  tale. 

"Thus  the  battle  raged  by  8  o'clock  in  the 
morning-.  The  roar  of  musketrv  and  rifles, 
the  infernal  din  of  two  or  three  hundred 
thousand  small  arms  continued  all  day  and 
ceased  not  until  darkness  ]nit  an  end  to  the 
strife.  \A'e  halted  in  line  of  battle  and 
remained  there  during  the  night,  notwith- 
standing it  rained  torrents  throughout  the 
latter  part  of  it. 


dii 


PAST  AND   TRESENT 


"Colonel  rui^li  commanded  the  First  Bri- 
i^ade  of  the  hV)iii"lh  l)i\ision.  Company  G. 
with  the  I'^orty-first  reiiiment,  in  the  Fourth 
l)i\ision,  took  their  position  in  line  of  hattle 
hy  S  o'clock  a.  m.,  the  eneniv  showed  him- 
self, and  Commenced  firing"  upon  our  hattery, 
which  I'cplied  promptly,  and  for  two  hours 
they  ke])t  up  a  most  incessant  roar.  About 
12  o'clock  our  hattery  changed  jjosition  right 
in  front  of  Company  G,  of  Forty-first  Regi- 
ment. Illinois  Volunteers,  and  for  fifteen 
minutes  kept  up  a  brisk  fire;  but  the  enemy 
disabled  one  gun.  killed  several  gunners  and 
horses,  ^\hen  the  hattery  retired.  This  had 
draw  11  the  gra]:)e  and  canister  upon  us  and 
several  men  were  killed  out  of  Company  G 
— not  all.  however,  from  Christian  county — 
close  by  my  side  and  in  my  rear. 

"Our  division  was  posted  near  the  left 
wing  of  our  lines.  For  two  hours  and  a  half 
our  regiment  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
young-  \-olcano ;  nor  did  it  give  one  inch  of 
ground  until  our  ammunition  was  ex- 
hausted, when  we  retired  behind  the  sec- 
ond line,  refreshed  ourselves  with  water  and 
replenished  our  ammunition.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Tupper,  of  the  Forty-first  Regiment, 
was  killed  early  in  the  action.  The  com- 
mand then  devolved  upon  Major  Warner, 
who  led  us  during  the  remainder  of  the 
fight  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

"The  enemy  outflanked  us  on  the  left, 
and  dro\-e  us  in  until  5  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, when  one  or  two  brigades  of  General 
Buell's  command  landed  from  the  boats,  and 
a  masked  battery  of  heavy  guns  was  planted, 
which  o])ened  in  easy  range;  and  such  a 
cannonading  from  that  time  till  dark  was 
never  excelled,  if  equalled,  in  modern  war- 
fare. The  enemy's  batteries  were  silenced, 
and  they  were  forced  to  retire  some  dis- 
tance for  the  night.  General  Buell's  forces 
continued  landing  all  night  and  taking  their 


position  in  the  field,  and  as  soon  as  daylight 
made  its  ai)pearance  they  'cried  ha\'oc,  and 
let  slip  the  dogs  of  war,'  and  kept  it  u\)  till 
three  in  the  afternoon  of  Mondav,  when  the 
enemy  broke  and  retreated  from  the  field. 
Col.  Tugh's  brigade,  on  Monday,  the  second 
da)'  of  the  fight,  were  ]:)oste(l  in  support  of 
the  right  wing,  and  here  it  was  that  the 
heaviest  fighting  was  done.  The  enemy  had 
erected  l)reast-works  of  fallen  timber,  from 
Ijehind  which  they  kei)t  up  a  severe  firing 
for  a  long  time,  but  we  routed  them  at  the 
])oint  of  the  bayonet.  In  fact  a  great  pro- 
])()rtion  of  the  fighting  in  the  afternoon  w^as 
with  the  bayonet. 

"Among  the  prisoners  were  several  offi- 
cers of  distinction ;  and  among  the  dead 
were  the  bodies  of  Gen.  A.  Sidney  John- 
son, of  Virginia  fame,  and  Gen.  Bragg,  of 
hattery  notoriety  at  Buena  Vista.  We  lost 
man}-  prisoners  on  Sunday,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  battle.  The  enemy  took 
many  of  our  guns  on  the  first  day,  but  were 
retaken  on  the  day  followin.g,  together  with 
forty  of  the  enemy's  guns. 

"Tuesday  and  Wednesday  after  the  Ijat- 
tle  were  occupied  in  burying  the  dead.  The 
battle  ground  was  covered,  Uiore  or  less,  for 
three  or  four  miles  in  diameter,  wdth  dead 
and  wounded,  men  and  horses.  Some 
twenty-five  or  thirty  mile<^  were  fought 
over.  The  country  was  hilly  and  cut  up  l)y 
deep  ravines.  The  enemy  had  the  advan- 
tage of  a  thorougii  knowdedge  of  the  coun- 
trv,  of  its  geography  and  topography,  which 
our  men  had  not,  with  the  exception  of  the 
commanding  generals. 

'*Al)out  five  o'clock  of  the  first  day's 
fighting,  when  we  were  marching  to  the 
right  wing,  to  take  position,  Gen.  Hurl- 
hurt  paid  the  41st  regiment  a  very  high 
compliment;   many   regiments  were  broken 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


97 


and  in  confusion,  and  the  (ieneral  seeing  ns 
all    in    ranks    in    line   of   battle,    called    out 

'What  regiment  is  this?'  '41st  Illinois,' 
was  the  response.  'That  is  as  it  should  be 
— the  41st  is  in  line.  I  expect  always  to 
find  them  in  line.'  " 

The  following  letter  was  w^ritten  by  Capt. 
F.  M.  Long,  on  the  8th  of  April.  1862,  after 
the  battle,  to  his  aged  fathei  in  Taylorville, 
Illinois : 

"Forty-six  of  my  company  G,  went  into 
the  fight;  and  sixteen  of  the  number  were 
killed  and  wounded.  The  names  of  the 
killed  were :  Geo.  C.  Funk.  John  C. 
Wright,  Wm.  J.  Johnson,  Wm.  H.  Ready 
and  Charles  A.  Craimer.  The  wounded 
were :  Capt.  F.  M.  Long,  slightly  in  the 
foot:  Lieut.  John  W.  Cox,  mortally,  in  the 
right  thigh,  died  April  9th ;  Capt.  Leander 
East,  severely  in  the  right  shoulder;  Gab- 
riel McKenzie,  slightly  in  the  head ;  Gabriel 
C.  Butt,  seriously  in  the  back ;  Wm.  L. 
Miner,  slightly  in  the  head ;  George  Stanley, 
slightly  in  the  face;  Geo.  Cabill,  slightly  in 
the  ear;  James  Brown,  slightly  in  the 
breast ;  Edmund  Wilson,  severe  w^ound  in 
the  left  arm  and  bone  broken,  and  Wm.  J. 
Sisson,  flesh  wound  in  the  leg. 

"The  killed  fought  bravely  till  they  fell. 
The  rest  of  my  men  went  through  un- 
harmed; every  one  did  his  duty.  I  jias^^ed 
over  the  battle-field  the  next  morning  after 
the  dreadful  contest  and  such  a  sight  I 
never  beheld  before;  dead  men  are  lying  all 
around  over  the  ground  for  miles." 

After  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  regiment 
was  next  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Corinth, 
Miss.,  July  6.  1862,  marched  for  Mem- 
phis via  Holly  Springs,  Lagrange  and 
Grand  Junction;  arri\Td  at  Germantown 
20th,  and  at  Memphis  21st  July,  where  it 
remained  till  the  6th  of  September,  and 
then  marched  for  Bolivar,  arriving  on  the 


14th  of  September;  on  the  19th  marched  to 
the  (irand  Junction,  and  returned  October 
4,  and  marched  to  Hatchie  river.  On  the 
5th  of  October,  1862,  was  reserved  during 
the  battle  of  Corinth.  On  the  r)tli  marched 
to  Bolivar;  on  the  7th  marched  from  Boli- 
var, arriving  at  Lagrange  Nov.  3.  On  the 
6th  of  November  in  Colonel  Pugh's  brigade ; 
moved  out  on  a  reconnoissance  to  Lamar 
on  the  8th  and  Somerville  on  the  24th ; 
Nov.  28,  1862,  again  marched  to  Lamar; 
on  the  29th  to  Holly  'Springs ;  on  the  30th 
to  Waterford;  Dec.  10,  1862,  to  Beaver 
Creek ;  ( )n  the  1  i  th  to  Yocono  Creek,  pass- 
ing through  Oxford  and  crossing  the  Talla- 
hatchie; on  the  22d  marched  from  Yocona 
to  Water  Valley,  and  returned  via  Oxford, 
Beaver  Creek,  Tallahatchie,  and  arrived  at 
Holly  Springs,  Jan.  5,  1863. 

The  41st  Regiment  w-as  in  the  first  bri- 
gade. Colonel  Pugh;  fourth  division,  Brig- 
adier-General Lauman ;  right  wing.  Gen- 
eral McPherson;  13th  army  corps.  Major- 
General  Grant.  The  regiment  went  into 
camp  at  Moscow%  Tenn.,  and  remained  until 
March,  1863.  On  March  5,  1863,  ordered 
to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  it  arrived  on  the 
loth.  The  regiment  before  this  had  been 
transferred  from  the  13th  army  corps, 
Major-General  Grant,  to  the  i6th  army 
corps,    Major-General    Hurlburt   command- 


ing- 


On  the  1 2th  of  April,  1863.  proceeded  on 
an  expedition  to  Hernando,  Miss.  At  Cold 
Water,  seven  miles  lieyond  the  latter  place, 
met  the  enemy,  under  Generrd  Chalmers. 
Here  the  41st  was  under  a  heavy  skirmish 
fire  for  about  seven  hours.  On  the  i6th 
returned  to  Memphis.  Valentine  Hinkle. 
of  Company  G,  died  at  Memphis,  April  28, 
1863;  moved  to  Vicksburg;  disembarked  at 
Young's  Point;  on  the  19th  transferred  to 


98 


Pv\ST  AXl)   I 'RESENT 


(ienera!  AlcClernaiKrs  coniiiiaiid.  Was  en- 
j^aj^ed  in  the  sici^c  of  Xickshur;^". 

July  5.  11^63,  moN'ed  towards  Jackson, 
Miss.:  cnj^aged  in  the  battle  of  Jackson. 
The  loss  of  the  regiment  in  this  action  was 
40  killed  upon  the  field  and  122  wounded. 
Major  V.  M.  Long  fell,  mortally  wounded, 
while  gallantly  leading  his  men  into  action. 
This  great  sacrifice  of  life  was  by  a  mis- 
taken order  of  General  Lauman's.  It  was 
iHicailed  for  and  effected  notliing.  Among 
the  killed  were  Corp.  Elijah  J.  Shirrell. 
John  II.  Williams,  William  B.  Russell 
John  A.  Orr.  William  X.  Robinson.  Names 
of  the  wounded  could  not  be  obtained. 
After  this  disaster  the  regiment  returned  to 
V^icksburg-  on  the  25th  of  July. 

November  18.  1863,  moved  to  Natchez. 
Miss.,  and  remained  until  the  28th,  when 
it  retin-ned  to  Vicksburg;  Dec.  3,  1863, 
marched  to  Big  Black  river,  where  it  re- 
mained and  erected  winter  quarters ;  the 
41st  regiment  being  in  the  ist  brigade.  Gen. 
Thomas  Kirby  Smith;  fourth  division,  Gen. 
M.  M.  Crocker;  17th  army  corps,  Major- 
Gen.  James  B.  McPherson.  commanding 
veterans  and  recruits  on  the  41st  Illinois, 
consolidated  with  the  53d  regiment. 

The'4Tst  mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864,  at 
Springfield,  111.;  numlier  in  the  regiment, 
1,21  T. 

Such  is  a  brief  and  hasty  sketch  of  the 
movements  of  the  41st  Illinois  regiment, 
in  which  was  company  (i,  Capt.  E.  M. 
Long,  from  Christian  county. 

A  brief  account  of  the  early  formation  of 
this  company  and  the  obstacles  it  had  to 
encounter  may  be  a  matter  of  interest. 
Ca])t.  E.  M.  Long,  on  his  own  motion,  com- 
menced recruiting  for  a  company  in  July, 
1 86 1,  to  be  attached  to  Colonel  Pugh's  regi- 
ment, forming  at  Decatur.  The  Independ- 
ent Press  savs : 


"A  meeting  to  further  the  interests  of 
the  movement  was  held  in  the  courthouse 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  2r)th  of  July,  1861. 
.\ddresses  were  made  by  Elder  A.  McCol- 
Inni,  Captain  Vandeveer  arid  Dr.  (Joudy. 
It  was  stated  that  the  i)ay  would  lie  liberal 
— 320  acres  of  land;  a  bounty  of  $100,  be- 
sides the  regular  wages  in  the  army.  The 
boys  of  the  company  styled  themselves 
'L'ncle  Sam's  Nephews.'  Among  those  en- 
listing was  Samuel  \\A'dick.  an  old  settler 
of  this  county  and  81  years  old.  He  re- 
ported his  age  at  41.  and  ])assed  muster 
He  was  in  the  war  of  1812;  and  also  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war.  He  is  apparently  as  ac- 
tive as  any  man  in  the  company,  and  en- 
dured the  hardshi])s  incident  to  a  life  in  the 
tented  field  w  ith  as  much  spirit  as  most  of 
his  younger  companions  in  arms.  He  died 
in  the  hospital  at  St.  Louis  on  the  22d  of 
A])ril.  1862.  Peace  to  the  old  warrior's 
ashes." 

Muster  Roll 

of  Company  G.  of  the  41st  Regiment  of 
Illinois  Volunteers,  as  sworn  into  the 
United  States  service,  at  Decatur.  111.,  Aug. 
5.  1861,  for  three  years:  Erancis  M.  Long, 
captain,  promoted  major;  Daniel  K.  Hall, 
captain,  promoted ;  Thomas  J.  Anderson, 
captain,  term  expired  .Aug.  20,  1864;  John 
B.  Btitler,  ist  lieutenant,  resigned  June  18, 
1863;  Charles  G.  Young,  Tst  lieutenant, 
term  3  years,  expired  Nov.  11.  1864:  John 
\y.  Cox.  2(1  lieutenant,  died  April  9.  1862, 
at  Shilf^h:  James  M.  Boyd,  ist  sergeant, 
term  expired  Aug.  20,  1864;  George  Hall, 
sergeant,  M.  O.,  term  expired  Aug.  20. 
1864:  Lander  East,  sergeant,  discharged 
Jan.  2().  1863;  W.  B.  Russell,  sergeant; 
J(^hn  J.  Benope,  sergeant,  time  M.  O.,  Aug. 
20,  1864;  Elijah  J.  Shcrill.  corporal,  killed 
at  Jackson.  Miss..  July  12.  1863;  Andrew  J. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


99 


Bailey,  corporal,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
April  20.  1863;  John  H.  Wilhams,  cor- 
poral, killed  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  July  12, 
1863;  John  C.  Young,  corporal,  re-enlisted 
as  veteran ;  Robert  R.  Earnest,  corporal, 
discharged  Nov.  28,  1862  (disability)  ; 
William  R.  Russel,  corporal,  promoted  ser- 
geant, killed  July  12,  1863;  William  M. 
Petty,  corporal,  died  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Oct. 
13,  1861  ;  Thomas  Bowling,  musician,  mus- 
tered out  A])ril  20,  1864;  John  Brannon, 
private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Elias  F. 
Bowman,  private,  died  at  Vicksburg,  July 
7,  1863;  Gabriel  C.  Butt,  private,  M.  O., 
Aug.  20,  1864  (wounded)  ;  Dias  Butt,  pri- 
vate, M.  O.  Aug.  20,  1864  (wounded)  ; 
Benjamin  L.  Bowls,  private,  M.  O.  Aug. 
20,  1864  (wounded)  ;  James  Brown,  pri- 
vate, re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  John  D.  Claw- 
son,  private,  discharged  Aug.  15,  1862  (dis- 
ability) ;  Benjamin  F.  Cheney,  private,  dis- 
charged Nov.  29.  1863,  to  accept  promotion 
as  2d  lieutenant,  7th  La.  A.  D. :  DeWitt  C. 
Cowgill,  private  discharged  for  disability; 
John  H.  Cooper,  private,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  Henry  L.  Clapp,  private,  discharged 
Oct.  22,  1862;  William  W.  Durbin,  private, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran :  Frederick  Drind, 
private,  discharged  April  6,  1863  (disabil- 
itv)  :  George  C.  Funk,  killed  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  April  6,  1862 ;  George  \^^  Gil- 
bert, private,  discharged  Sept.  13,  1863; 
Elijah  E.  Gimlin,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  20, 
1864  (wounded)  ;  Anderson  Gray,  private, 
mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864;  William 
Goodan,  private,  mustered  out  Aug.  20, 
1864;  William  C.  B.  Gillispie,  private,  pro- 
moted commissary  sergeant ;  Robert  W 
Hopper,  private,  Aug.  20,  1864,  as  ser- 
geant ;  Abram  Halderman,  private,  dis- 
charged Oct.  10,  1862  (disability)  ;  Leo- 
nard  Hoover,   private,   mustered  out   Aug. 

7 


20,  1864;  William  J.  Johnson,  private, 
killed  at  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862;  John  M. 
Jordon,  private,  died  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Dec. 
22,  1861 ;  James  T.  Jones,  private,  dis- 
charged Dec.  16,  1863  (disability)  ;  Curtis 
Kimmerman,  private,  discharged  Sept.  19, 
1862  (disability)  ;  William  S.  Knott,  pri- 
vate, deserted  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  Joseph  Lev- 
anther,  private,  mustei^ed  out  Aug.  20, 
1864;  Thomas  J.  Langiey,  private,  dis- 
charged Aug.  14,  1862  (disability)  ;  Dan- 
iel E.  McGarrah,  private,  mustered  out 
Aug.  20,  1864;  Thomas  Marshall,  private, 
discharged  Sept.  18,  1862  (disability)  ; 
William  L.  Miner,  private,  mustered  out 
Aug.  20,  1864;  John  H.  Peppers,  private, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Benjamin  Pilate, 
.  private,  deserted  July  30,  1862 ;  George  B. 
Ryan,  private,  died  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  April 
5,  1862 ;  William  Rutledge,  private,  desert- 
ed Sept.  28,  1861,  and  went  into  115th 
regiment,  killed  at  Chickamauga ;  Thadeus 
T.  Smith,  private,  discharged  March  5, 
1862.  as  corporal;  Theodore  F.  Storey,  pri- 
vate-corporal, died  at  home,  September, 
1862 ;  George  Stanley,  private,  mustered 
out  Aug.  20,  1864;  Eli  S.  Scribner,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran ;  Augustus  Weller,  pri- 
vate, re-enlisted  as  veteran;  David  Wooley, 
private,  died  at  St.  Louis,  March  19,  1862; 
Edmund  Wilson,  private,  discharged  June 
12,  1862;  David  F.  Welch,  died  at  Mound 
City,  April  15,  1862;  George  W.  Waddelb 
transferred  to  invalid  corps  Sept.  12,  1863; 
Samuel  Widock.  private,  died  at  St.  Louis, 
April  22,  1862;  John  Wheeler,  private,  mus- 
tered out  Aug.  20,  1864;  John  B.  Young, 
private,  M.  O.  Aug.  20,  1864;  John  Bran- 
non, veteran,  transferred  to  Co.  A,  Veteran 
Battalion;  James  Brown,  veteran,  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  A,  Veteran  Battalion ;  John  H. 
Cooper,  veteran,  transferred  to  Co.  A.  Vet- 


KM) 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


eran  I'attalion :  William  \\\  Durbin.  vet- 
eran, transferred  to  Co.  A.  X'eteran  Battal- 
ion ;  Gabriel  McKenzie,  \eteran,  transferred 
to  Co.  A,  W'teran  Battalion:  John  TT.  Pep- 
pers. \eteran,  transferred  to  Co.  A,  Veteran 
Battalion  ;  Eli  S.  Scril)ner.  \eteran,  desert- 
ed May  I  J.  1X64:  :\ugustiis  W'cller,  vet- 
eran, transferred  to  Co.  A,  Veteran  Battal- 
ion :  John  C.  \'onng'.  veteran,  transferred  to 
Co.  A,  W'teran  Battalion;  John  B.  Butler, 
recruit,  promoted  2d  lieutenant;  Valentine 
Hinkde.  died  at  iMemphis,  Tenn..  April  28, 
1863;  Charles  Langley.  recruit,  discharged 
June  2T,  1862  (disability)  :  Gabriel  McKen- 
zie. recruit,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Wright 
Nash,  recruit,  transferred  to  Co.  A.  Vet- 
eran Battah"on ;  Robert  R.  Ryan,  recruit 
transferred  to  Co.  A,  \^eteran  Battalion; 
Alfred  Spates,  recruit,  transferred  to  Co. 
A.  Veteran  Battalion ;  Robert  S.  Simpson, 
recruit,  discharged  April  4.  1862  (disabil- 
ity )  ;  John  Throckmorton,  recruit,  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  A.  Veteran  Battalion; 
Thomas  Whitton,  recruit,  transferred  to 
Co.  A,  Veteran  Battalion ;  James  R.  W^ill- 
iams.  recruit,  transferred  to  Co.  A,  Veteran 
Battalion ;  A\'illiam  Westley,  recruit,  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  A.  Veteran  Battalion;  Jose]^h 
Catherwood.  1st  lieutenant.  Co.  E,  4th  Reg., 
term  expired  Aug.  21.  1864. 

Muster   Roll 

of  Company  D.  ^;^(\  Regiment.  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers, more  familiarly  known  as  the 
"Normal  Regiment"  of  Teachers.  It  was 
organized  at  Camp  Butler.  111..  Aug.  15. 
186 1.  Charles  E.  Hovey,  colonel.  Company 
D  was  made  up  in  the  western  part  of 
Christian  county,  by  Henry  H.  Pope,  its 
captain :  Plenry  H.  Pope,  captain,  pro- 
moted major  and  lieutenant-colonel ;  Will- 
iam W.  Mason,  ist  lieutenant.'  term  expired 
Aug.  28.    1864;  Hiram  V.  Algur,  2d  lieu- 


tenant, resigned  Sept.  18.  1864;  Abiel 
kosengrant,  ist  sergeant,  promoted  captain 
Oct.  II,  1864;  Thomas  Mason,  corporal, 
killed  in  Mississippi,  May  28,  1862;  John 
Kuykendali,  corporal,  wounded,  M.  O.  Oct. 
II.  i860;  George  Griffon,  wagoner,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran;  Ephraim  G.  Allen  pri- 
vate; Henry  Boden,  private,  re-enlisted  as 
xeteran  :  Louis  Com])ton.  private,  re-enlist- 
ed as  xeteran ;  Charles  Chorndor,  dis- 
charged Sept.  4.  1865  (disability)  ;  John 
Connor,  private;  William  Earles.  private, 
died  at  Ironton.  M(x,  Dec.  13,  t86i  ;  John 
J.  Hawk,  died  at  St.  Louis.  Oct.  18,  1862; 
William  Hennesy,  private;  Daniel  C.  Mat- 
thews, died  Jan.  28,  1865,  near  Buckhart ; 
Alfred  McCoy,  private,  discharged  April  3. 
1862;  Lucas  Michael,  private,  killed  at 
Vicksburg,  May  20,  1863;  John  C.  Noe. 
private,  mustered  out  Nov.  24,  1865;  James 
Reed,  private,  discharged  April  8,  1861 
(disability)  ;  George  W.  Robinson,  private, 
discharged  Oct.  31,  1862  (disability)  ; 
Timothy  Regan,  private,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  Thcjmas  Simondson,  ])rivate ;  Gec^rge 
Smith,  private,  died  at  St.  Louis,  March 
24,  1863;  Henry  Smith,  private,  discharged 
Jan.  16,  1864  (w'ounds)  ;  Henry  Shaw,  pri- 
vate, re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Charles  Wal- 
lace, died  at  fronton.  Mo.,  Nov.  4,  1861  ; 
Marion  Berry,  recruit,  M.  O.  Nov.  24, 
1865  ;  Wm.  H.  Grain,  veteran  recruit.  M.  O. 
Nov.  24,  1865,  as  corporal;  Joseph  S.  Cook, 
recruit,  discharged  Nov.  8.  1862  (disabil- 
ity) ;  Adam  Coffman,  recruit;  John  Dur- 
bin.  died  at  River  Station,  Mo.,  April  22, 
T862;  Jasper  N.  Good,  recruit;  William  G. 
Ginger,  recruit,  discharged  March  8,  1865 
(term  expired)  ;  Henry  Jodence,  recruit, 
mustered  out  Nov.  24,  1865  ;  Augustus  C. 
Jolinson,  recruit;  Charles  Miller,  died  at 
Terre  Bonne,  La.,  Jan.  12,  1865;  Napoleon 
B.  Pherigo,  veteran  recruit,  M.  O.  Nov.  24, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


101 


1865;  Hiram  H.  Painter,  recruit,  M.  O. 
Nov.  24,  1865;  Montgomery  Shaw,  recruit, 
discharged  April  9,  1863  (disabihty)  ; 
James  Thomas,  veteran,  died  at  Terre 
Bonne.  Sept.  17,  1864;  Joseph  Walden, 
killed,  accident  N.  O.  &  O.  R.  R.,  March 
2,  1865. 

Muster  Roll 

of  Company  i,  41st  Regiment,  Illir.ois  Vol- 
unteers. Was  organized  in  Decatur,  in 
Colonel  Pugh's  regiment,  and  sworn  into 
the  United  States  service,  Aug,  5.  1861. 
This  company  was  recruited  at  Mt.  Auburn, 
in  the  northern  part  of  Christian  county,  in 
the  month  of  July,  1861,  by  Capt.  Benja- 
min B.  Bacon.  This  company  was  in  the 
same  regiment  with  Capt.  F.  M.  Long. 
They  styled  themselves  "Mt.  Auburn  Ti- 
gers" :  Benjamin  B.  Bacon,  captain,  re- 
signed March  4,  1862;  Francis  M.  Green, 
captain,  term  expired  Aug.  20,  1864;  Ben- 
jamin R.  Parrish,  ist  lieutenant,  resigned 
Sept.  25,  1862;  Leander  Green,  ist  lieuten- 
ant, term  expired  Aug.  20,  1864;  Philip  J. 
Frederick,  2d  lieutenant,  term  expired  Aug'. 
20,  1864;  William  Batterson,  ist  sergeant, 
died  at  LaGrange,  term  expired  A'larch  11, 
1863;  George  C.  Baugh,  ist  sergeant,  died 
at  Memphis,  xA.pril  9  (wounds)  ;  William 
Cochran,  ist  sergeant,  M  O.  Aug.  20, 
1864;  James  R.  Dickson,  sergeant,  died 
May  14,  1862  (wounds)  ;  Melcher  Repp, 
sergeant,  died  home,  April  5,  1863  (pris- 
oner) ;  Henry  C.  Porter,  sergeant,  mustered 
out  Oct.  20,  1864:  Robert  W.  Richards, 
corporal,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Benjamin 
Blankenbaker,  corporal,  M.  O.  Aug.  20, 
1864;  George  C.  Baugh,  corporal,  wound- 
ed, promoted  ist  sergeant;  Hiram  Hoag- 
land,  corporal,  mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864; 
Marion  R.  Shade,  corporal,  M.  O.  Aug.  20, 
1864,    as   sergeant;   David   Crompton,   cor- 


poral, killed  at  Ft.  Donelson,  Feb.  15,  1862; 
Michael  Clark,  corporal,  deserted  Jan.  28, 
1862;  Joseph  White,  musician,  discharged 
Nov.  25,  1 86 1  (disability)  ;  Lewis  White, 
discharged  Sept.  25,  1861  (disability)  ; 
Frank  A.  Lindsley,  wagoner,  killed  at 
Jackson,  July  12,  1863;  Jeremiah  Barchell, 
private,  M.  O.  Aug.  20,  1864;  John  Baugh- 
man,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  20,  1864,  as  cor- 
poral ;  Henry  Batterton,  private,  died  April 
24,  1862;  Isaac  Borley,  private,  M.  O.  Aug 
20,  1864,  as  corporal;  James  H.  Bibler,  pri- 
vate, mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864;  John 
Baughman,  private,  promoted  commissary 
sergeant ;  Paul  Baughman,  private,  mus- 
tered out  Aug.  20,  1864;  William  H.  Copp- 
ley,  died  at  LaGrange,  Tenn.,  July  .12, 
1862 ;  Henry  C.  Crawford,  private,  mus- 
tered   out   ,    1864;    John    Churchill, 

private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran :  William 
Clink,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Ben- 
jamin F.  Grand,  private,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  Barney  Conner,  killed  at  Ft.  Donel- 
son, Feb.  15,  1862;  Henry  Campbell,  dis- 
charged Jan.  I,  1863  (accidental  wounds)  ; 
William  Dickerson,  died  March  26,  1862 
(on  furlough)  ;  Barney  Druin,  private, 
mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864;  Abraham 
Decker,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ; 
Samuel  Erwin,  mustered  out  Aug.  20, 
1864;  James  D.  English,  private,  re-enlist- 
ed as  veteran ;  John  G.  Fletcher,  private, 
mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864;  George  W. 
Fowks,  private,  died  July  22,  1863 
(wounds)  ;  Jonathan  Grider,  private,  dis- 
charged Jan.  20,  1862,  as  corporal;  John 
Goodrich,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ; 
Chauncey  G.  Goodrich,  private,  M.  O.  Aug. 
20,  1864;  Charles  Henderson,  private,  mus- 
tered out  Aug.  20,  1864;  Randolph  Hav- 
oner,  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Joseph 
Hill,  private,  mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864; 
John    B.    Hopkins,    private,    mustered    out 


102 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Aug.  20,  iSr»4;  John  narmiin,  private,  mus- 
tered  out    Aug.   20,    iSf)4;  John    I).   Hum- 
phrey, private,  mustered  dut  Aug.  20,  1864; 
George    ITrirwortli.    pri\ate.    re-eulisted    as 
veteran:     llenrv    hinder,    private,    died    at 
\'icksl)urg.  June    4.    \^(\^:   John    H.    Lout- 
zenhouse,    i)ri\ate,   M.    O.    Aug.    20,    1864; 
[ohn   Lawton,   private,   mustered   out   Aug. 
20.    1864;  Eliel  T.  Lee.  private,  re-instated 
as      veteran:      Charles      Morgan,      ])rivate, 
kihed    at    Ft.     Donelson.    Feh.     15,     1862; 
Harrison  Miller,  ])rivate,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran :  John  ]\IcKaig,  jjrivalf'.  mustered  out 
Aug.    20.    1864;   Alexander   Marshall,    pri- 
vate, mustered  out  Aug.  20.  1864;  Charles 
McCluskey,    private,    discharged    April    25, 
1862   (died)  ;  John  Slurry,  private,  died  at 
Ft.  Donelson.  Feh.  15.  1862;  Jacoh  McCoy, 
private.       discharged       Jan.        27,        1862 
(wounds)  ;   Charles  Modcalf,  private,   died 
at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Jan.    15,  1863;  James  L. 
Nance.   i)rivate,   ]\1.   O.    Aug.    20,    1864,   as 
sergeant;  James  Oshorn,  private,  mustered 
out  Aug.  20,   1864;  Peter  Patrick,  private, 
transferred    to    Invalid    Corps,     Sept.     15. 
1863;  Henry  L.   Patrick,  private,  re-enlist- 
ed as  veteran  :  William  R.  Pete,  pri\'ate,  fle- 
serted  Feh.   lo,   1862;  John  Pontis,  private, 
mu.stered     out     Aug.     20.     1864;     Martin 
Pilaris,   died   at   Nashville,  Tenn.,  Jan.   30, 
1864;   Jacoh    Ransomer,    private,    mustered 
out  Aug.  20,  1864;  Theodore  Sherman,  pri- 
vate.   M.   O.    Aug.   20.    1864,   as   sergeant; 
Davis   Shanafell,  private,  M.   O.   Aug.   20, 
1864,    as    sergeant :    James    W.    Stobaugh, 
private,   mustered  out  Aug.  20,    1864;  Al- 
fred Shatza.  private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran; 
Lerhan   Swisher,   died   at   Fort    Donaldson, 
March  3,  1862;  Michigan  C.  Scott,  private, 
mustered   out   Aug.   20.    1864;    Andrew   J 
Sergeant,    private,   mustered   out   Aug.    20, 
1864;    Wesley    Taylor.    ])rivate.    mustered 
out  Aug.  20.  1864;  Aaron  1"roxel,  private, 


killed    at     l"t.     Donelson,    Feb.     15,     1862; 
(leorge    W'ikox,   ])rivate,   died   at   Memphis, 
Tenn..   April   2.S.    i8r)3:  Jnhn   P.   Williams. 
at  ,\nna])()lis.  Oci.  2,   1863  (  was  prisoner)  ; 
Joseph   W'athrook.  private,  discharged  June 
10,     i8h2:    Joim     W'ilhelm.     mustered    out 
Aug.  20,  J  864;  Carl  is  Ware,  killed  at  Jack- 
son,  Miss.,  July    12,    18O3;   William  Clink, 
veter.an,  transferred  to  Co.  B.  Veteran  Bat- 
talinn:      \liraham    Decker,     \-eteran,    trans- 
ferred to  Co.   B,  Veteran   Batt.alion  ;  James 
D.    fLnghsh,   \eteran.  transferred  to  Co.   B, 
Veteran  Battalion;  John  Gocjdrich,  veteran, 
transferred    to    Co.    B,    Veteran    Battalion; 
George    Harwith.    veteran,    transferred    to 
Co.,B,  Veteran  Battalion;  Harrison  Miller, 
veteran,  transferred  to  Co.  B,  Veteran  Bat- 
talion; Maxwell  M.  Miljer,  veteran,  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  B,  Veteran  Battalion;  Henry 
L.    Patrick,   veteran,   transferred  to  Co.   B, 
Veteran     Battalion;     Robert     W.     Rickard, 
transferred    to   Co.    B,    Veteran    Battalion; 
Rol)ert*  W.  Blankenship,  transferred  to  Co. 
B.    Veteran    Battalion;    Daniel    Baughman, 
recruit,  transferred  to  Co.  B.  Veteran  Bat- 
talion ;   Jacob   Henshie,   recruit,   transferred 
to   Co.    B,    Veteran   Battalion ;    Presley   D. 
Housley.  recruit,  transferred  to  Co.  B,  Vet- 
eran   Battalion;    Henry   G.    Miller,    recruit, 
transferred    to   Co.    B,   Veteran    Battalion; 
Maxwell    M.    Miller,   recruit,    re-enlisted  as 
veteran :   iM-ancis  M.   Miller,  recruit,  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  B,  Veteran  Battalion. 

A  letter,  written  just  after  the  battle  of 
lM)rt  Donelson,  by  a  private  in  Captain 
Simi)son's  company,  referring  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  some  of  our  Christian  county 
bovs  bore  themselves  in  that  memorable  en- 
gagement, states  that  George  Funk  fought 
like  a  hero;  Benjamin  Pilate  stole  off  before 
the  fight  and  was  never  seen  until  the  fort 
was  surrendered.  Captain  Bacon  of  the 
Mt.    Aul)urn   company   ran   like  a   coward. 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


103 


He  has  been  sent  home.  Lieut.  John  Davis 
(Job's  John)  had  command  of  his  company 
and  he  went  in  with  a  Sharp's  rifle,  coohy 
g^iving  orders  to.  his  men  and  laughing  all 
the  time. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Regiment 
Illinois  Volunteers,  Gen.  Jesse  H.  Moore, 
colonel  in  command. 

Company  A  of  this  regiment  was  recruit- 
ed from  Christian  county,  by  Capt.  J.  W. 
Lapham,  and  others,  at  Camp  Butler,  vScpt. 
13,  1862.  The  regiment  was  organized 
and  sworn  into  the  United  States  service 
Sept.  19,  1862;  ordered  into  the  field  on 
the  4th  of  October,  1862;  reported  to 
Major-General  Wright  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
on  the  6th  of  October,  and  on  the  same  day 
crossed  the  ri\-er  into  Kentucky  and  report- 
ed to  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith;  marched  through 
Kentucky  and  reached  Naslnille,  Tenn., 
Fel).  10,  1863.  The  regiment  moved  to 
Tullahoma  and  held  that  ])ost  till  Sept.  5, 
1863.  Septeml)er  14,  by  a  forced  march 
across  the  Cumberland  mountains,  reached 
Rossville,  Ga.,  five  miles  south  of  Chatta- 
nooga; remained  four  days.  On  the  i8th 
of  September,  1863,  engaged  the  enemy  on 
the  extreme  left,  upon  the  field  of  Chicka- 
mauga.  In  this  engagement  the  regiment 
lost  six  men.  September  20,  crossed  to  the 
support  of  General  Thomas,  on  the  extreme 
right,  leaving  camp  at  sunrise ;  engaged  the 
enemy  on  Thomas's  right  at  i  o'clock  P.  M. 
with  Steadman's  division,  loth  Regiment's 
reserve  corps ;  after  a  most  fearful  struggle 
held  the  ground  till  night.  Half  the  entire 
command  was  cut  down.  Colonel  Moore 
and  his  regiment  were  commended  for  their 
bravery  in  orders.  It  participated  in  all  the 
engagements  around  Chattanooga  and  Mis- 
sion Ridge.  The  regiment  lost  in  killed, 
wounded  and  captured,  in  the  campaign 
around   Chattanooga,   in   the   fall   of    1863, 


about  235  men  and  10  officers.  About  21st 
of  February,  1864,  marched  with  a  detach- 
ment of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  un- 
der General  Palmer  against  Dalton,  Ga. ; 
spent  ten  days  feeling  the  enemy,  and  tct 
turned  to  camp  near  Cleveland,  Tenn.  The 
regiment  lost  six  men ;  remained  here  till 
the  3d  of  May,  when,  with  General  Sher- 
man's grand  army,  started  on  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  The  115th  regiment,  on  the  7th 
of  May,  led  the  charge  upon  Tunnel  Flill, 
Ga.,  driving  the  enemy  through  Buzzard 
Roost  Gap.  The  15th  and  i6th  of  May 
engaged  in  battle  at  Resaca,  Ga. ;  sustained 
stubbornly  a  charge  upon  the  left  flank,  for 
which  the  regiment  was  commended  in  or- 
ders; lost  in  this  contest  about  thirty  men 
and  oflScers. 

All  the  principal  engagements  of  the  mil- 
itary divisions  of  the  Mississippi  v^ere  in- 
scribed by  orders,  upon  the  regimental  ban- 
ner. The  regiment  lost  during  the  Atlanta 
campaign  about  100  men.  When  General 
Sherman  marched  to  the  sea,  General 
Thomas'  command  was  detached  and  or- 
dered to  Tennessee,  to  watch  the  move- 
ments of  General  Hood.  The  115th  Regi- 
ment was  with  this  force  in  the  second  bri- 
gade, first  division,  fourth  army  corps. 
The  regiment  took  an  active  part  in  the  en- 
gagements, which,  in  November  and  De- 
cember, 1864,  resulted  in  the  destruction  of 
Bragg's  old  veteran  army,  known  as  the 
"Army  of  the  Tennessee,"  and  then  com- 
manded by  Confederate  General  Hood. 
The  brigade  to  which  the  115th  Illinois 
Regiment  belonged  for  nearly  two  years, 
without  material  alteration,  was  known 
throughout  the  department  as  the  "Iron 
Brigade,"  and  was,  for  the  most  part,  up  to 
the  23d  of  December,  1864,  commanded  by 
Gen.    Walter    C.    Whitaker,    of    Kentucky, 


104 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


who  neglected  no  opportunity  to  win  dis- 
tinction for  liiniself  and  his  command. 

On  the  23rd  of  December,  1864,  while 
pursuing  General  Hood,  in  his  retreat  from 
Nasliville.  Col.  J.  IT.  Moore,  of  the  115th 
Illinois  Regiment,  tt)ok  command  of  this 
splendid  brigade,  and  continued  its  com- 
mander till  it  was  mustered  out  of  the  serv- 
ice, at  the  close  of  the  war.  Colonel  Moore 
was  breveted  brigadier-general  before  leav- 
ing the  army. 

General  Hood,  having  been  driven,  after 
his  defeat  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  with  the  re- 
mains of  a  broken  army,  across  the  Tennes- 
see, the  1 1 5th  Regiment,  with  the  Fourth 
.\rmy  Corps,  marched  to  Huntsville,  Ala., 
and  went  into  camp  on  the  5th  of  January, 
1865  ;  marched  thence,  on  the  14th  of  March 
into  East  Tennessee,  thence  expecting  to 
mo\-e  by  the  way  of  Lynchburg,  Va.,  to  as- 
sist in  the  capture  of  Richmond.  But 
while  in  the  vicinity  of  Greenville,  Tenn., 
Richmond  fell,  and  General  Lee  surren- 
dered. 

The  regiment  then  moved  with  the 
Fourth  Army  Corps  and  went  into  camp 
near  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  there  remained 
until  mustered  out  of  the  service,  June  11, 
1865.  Arrived  at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  1865, 
and  receixed  final  pay  and  discharge  June 
23,  1865. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Company  A, 
from  Christian  county,  was  engaged  in 
many  hard-f (night  battles,  nnd  did  honor 
to  itself  and  the  couiit\-  which  gave  it  birth. 
Captain  Hanon  and  Lieut.  J.  B.  Gore  were 
taken  prisoners. 

Muster  Roll  of  Company  A. 

J.  W.  Lapham,  captain -major,  M.  O. 
June  IT,  1865;  Jesse  Hanon,  Jr.,  captain, 
mustered  out  June  11,  1865;  Arthur  C. 
Bankston,   ist  lieutenant,  resigned  Dec.  30, 


1862;  Joseph  I).  Gore,  1st  lieutenant,  mus- 
tered out  June  II,  1865;  William  F.  Gore, 
M.  O.  June  I  I.  1865.  as  ist  sergeant;  Will- 
liani  J.  Jones,  sergeant,  discharged  July, 
18^)3;  Sandford  G.  Hammer,  sergeant,  dis- 
charged April  30,  1863;  Edward  W.  Paine, 
sergeant,  transferred  to  the  V.  R.  C,  May 
I,  1864:  William  Young,  corporal,  dis- 
charged March  18,  1863 ;  Ferdinand  F 
Young,  died  Richmond,  Ky..  Dec.  25, 
1862;  Horatia  N.  Keep,  corix)ral-sergeant, 
died  Oct.  4.  1863  (wounds)  ;  David  J.  Den- 
ton, corporal,  mustered  out  June  11,  1865; 
Edwin  Young,  corporal,  mustered  out  June 
IT,  1865;  James  McSpates,  corporal,  mus- 
tered out  June  Ti,  1865;  George  Large, 
corporal,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865,  as  sergeant; 
Christian  D.  Cowgill,  riiusician,  discharged 
April  30,  1863;  Joseph  Large,  musician, 
M.  O.  June  21,  1865  (prisoner)  ;  Francis 
M.  Sherrill,  died  at  Covington,  Ky.,  Oct. 
22,  1862;  Samuel  L.  Allen,  private,  mus- 
tered out  June  II.  1865;  Robert  S.  Ala- 
mon,  private,  mustered  out  June  ii.  1865; 
Samuel  T.  Anderson,  private,  drowned 
Sept.  24,  1863;  John  M.  Baker,  private, 
M.  O.  June  11,  1865:  Martin  V.  Baker, 
died  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  Oct.  10,  1862; 
Joshua  B.  Bankston,  discharged  April  25, 
1864  (wounds)  ;  Winfield  S.  Bankston, 
private,  discharged  Feb.  4,  1863;  Jo.shua 
Bowman,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865; 
Leander  Bradley,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865;  William  Bugg,  private,  M.  O.  June 
IT,  1865  (furlough):  James  Broderick, 
private,  M.  O.  June  it,  1865;  Bonaparte 
Coffey,  died  at  Danville,  Ky.,  Jan.  23,  1863; 
Isham  Coffey,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865;  Achilles  R.  Calloway,  discharged 
March  25.  1865  (accidental  wound)  ;  Ed- 
ward D.  Cowgill,  died  Chattanooga,  Tenn., 
Sept.  30,  1863  (wounds)  :  William  H. 
Childs,  private,  M.  O.  June  19,  1865  (war 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


105 


prisoner)  ;  Edwin  Clark,  died  Philadelphia, 
Tenn.,  March  24,   1865   (wound)  ;  Thomas 
Chastain,  Jr.,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865; 
James  Devine,  private,  discharged  May  25, 
1865    (wounds)  ;   Micager  Denton,  private, 
M.    O.    June    22,    1865;    Micager    Denton, 
mustered  out  June  11,  1865:  Leonard  Dem- 
ming,    died    at    Richmond,    Ky.,    Jan.     14, 
1863;    Joseph    Easley,    private,    discharged 
July   19,   1864    (wounds)  ;  Jerome  B.   Fra- 
ley,  private,  discharged  May  11,  1863  (dis- 
ahility)  ;   Benjamin  Flemming,  private,   M. 
O.  June  II,   1865;  John  Gore,  private,  M. 
O.  June  II,  1865;  Charles  \V.  German,  pri- 
vate,   M.    O.    June    11,    1865;    Francis    M. 
Hanon,   private,   discharged  June  4,    1863; 
John  H.  Hatfield,  private,  M.  O.  June   11, 
1865;  George  Haslett,  private,  died  Cleve- 
land. Tenn.,  March  28,  1864;  Charles  Hill, 
private,  M.  O.  June  11,   1865,  as  corporal; 
John    Jones,    private,    discharged    Jan.    19, 
1863    (disability)  ;    David    Jarvis,    private, 
M.  O.  June  11,  1865,  as  corporal;  James  D. 
Johnson,  private,  discharged  Dec.   10,   1864 
(wounds)  ;  Isaac  Johnson,  private,  died  at 
Lexington,    Ky.,    Nov.    11,    1862;    Stanton 
Kelsay,    private,    transferred    to    Engineer 
Corps,  July  29,  1864;  Jasper  N.  Kelley,  pri- 
vate, discharged  April  20,   1863;  Daniel  L. 
Ketchan,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,   1865,  as 
corporal;  John  Large,  private,  M.  O.  June 
II,   1865;  Alfred  Langley,   private,  M.   O. 
June  II,   1865;  James  Lawton,  private,  M. 
O.  June  II,  1865;  Richard  Lee,  private,  M. 
O.  June  II,    1865;  Alfred  B.   Leepei",  pri- 
vate,  M.   O.    June    11,    1865,   as   sergeant; 
Daniel  Lane,  private,  transferred  to  V.  R. 
C. ;  James  Morrow%  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865;  James  McElroy,  private,  M.  O.  June 
II,  1865;  James  McCrary,  private,  June  11, 
1865;  James  H.  McCoy,  private,  June  11, 
1865  ;  Wm.  McCune,  private,  killed  by  guer- 
illas,  March    11,    1865;  Jesse  G.    Milligan, 


private,   M.   O.   July    11,    1865;   Daniel   M. 
Mitchell,  private,  al)sent   (wounded)  ;  V-Zm. 
A.  Morris,  private,  absent,  sick  at  M.  O.  of 
regiment ;  Nicholas  C.  Madison,  private,  M. 
O.   July    II,    1865;   Samuel   G.    McDonald, 
died  Frankton,  Tenn.,  y\pril  2^,  1863;  Vin- 
cent Messier,  died  at  Chattanooga  Novem- 
ber 4,  1863  (wounds)  ;  Samuel  M.  Orr,  pri- 
vate,   discharged    June     19,     1863;    Anson 
Raine,  private,  discharged  April  20,   1863; 
Joseph    Russell,    private,    M.    O.    June    11, 
1865  ;  James  Shaw,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
Feb.  21,  1863;  Edward  F.  Sowers,  private, 
M.  O.  June  11,  1865;  Thomas  Spindle,  pri- 
vate, discharged  April  20,   1863;  Jeremiah 
Shetler,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865;  John 
Sullivan,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865,  war 
prisoner;  Robert  M.   Shaw,  private  M.   O. 
June  II,  1865,  as  sergeant;  David  Throck- 
morton, private,  M.   O.  June   11,    1865,  as 
corporal ;    Enos    Watkins,    private,    M.    O. 
June  II,   1865;  Wm.  B.  Williams,  died  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  March  24,   1863;  Benja- 
min  F.    Willard,   private,   M.   O.   June    11, 
1865;  Philip  Barnhart,  recruit,  M.  O.  De- 
cember 16,  1865;  Geo.  W.  Bradley,  recruit, 
transferred  to  21st  Illinois  Infantry;  James 
M.    Chastain,    recruit,    transferred   to    2i.st 
Illinois  Infantry ;  Charles  Demass,   recruit, 
transferred  to  21st  Illinois  Infantry;  Alvin 
Haverfield,  died  at  Huntsville,  Ala.,  March 
5,  1865 ;  Daniel  A.  Halloway,  recruit,  trans- 
ferred to  2 1  St  Illinois  Infantry;  Jno.  L.  Jef- 
frey,  recruit,    M.   O.    December    16,    1865; 
Thomas  J.  Langley,  recruit,  transferred  to 
2ist   Illinois   Infantry;   Newton   J.   Russell, 
recruit,   transferred    to  21st   Illinois   infan- 
try; Andrew  J.  Stevens,  recruit,  transferred 
to  2 1  St  Illinois  Infantry. 

Muster  Roll  of  Company  E. 

Captain  Lane;  Captain  Whitaker;  Benj. 
Ramsey,    corporal,    died    at    Danville,    Ky., 


lOG 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


June  17.  1863;  Michael  Ramsey,  died  at 
Lexington,  Ky.,  November  11,  1862;  Ran- 
dall A.  Adams,  corporal,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865;  Geo.  X.  Junken,  corporal  sergeant, 
wounded  and  missing  in  action  Chickamau- 
ga,  September  20,  1863 :  Wm.  H.  Hores- 
ley,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865,  as  sergeant  (pris- 
oner) ;  Jno.  T.  Stark,  M.  O.  June  it,  1865, 
as  sergeant  (war  prisoner)  ;  John  Cum- 
mings,  private,  absent,  sick,  M.,  O.  of  regi- 
ment; Geo.  W.  Crooks,  private,  died  in 
Christian  county  November  6,  1865;  John 
Crafton,  private,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
March  4,  1863 ;  John  O.  Darmer,  private, 
discharged  May  15,  1865  (wounds)  ;  Wm. 
C.  Darmer,  private,  M.  O.  July  i,  1865  (was 
prisoner)  ;  Alfred  H.  DeAsty,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  March  3.  1863;  Joseph  R.  Ed- 
monds, private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865;  Ira 
Goodrich,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865; 
Oliver  P.  Goodrich,  died  in  Christian  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  October  16,  1862;  Frederick  S. 
Gilhousen,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865; 
Robert  L.  Green,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
February  i,  1865;  Wm.  G.  Henry,  private, 
M.  O.  June  11,  1865;  Shelby  Hollings- 
worth,  transferred  to  Company  A.,  21st  Illi- 
nois Infantry ;  William  M.  Hurst,  dis- 
charged August  3,  1863,  as  corporal; 
(wounds)  ;  Charles  B.  Hammil,  private,  M. 
O.  June  II,  1865;  Bement  Hurst,  private, 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  April  30,  1864; 
John  H.  Herdman,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865,  as  corporal ;  Samuel  L.  Lovel,  died  at 
Franklin,  Tennessee,  May  10,  1863;  Joseph 
W.  Long,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865 
Eli  McVey,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865 
Levi  McVey,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1865 
Newton  W.  McReynolds,  private,  dis- 
charged February  25,  1864  (w^ounds)  ; 
Zachariah  Pope,  died  at  Lexington,  Ky., 
November  .10,  1862:  Thomas  B.  Patrick, 
private,  M.   O.  June    11,    1865;  Daniel   H. 


l^rettyman,  private,  died  at  Danville,  Ky., 
I'ebruary,  1863;  Garrett  B.  Randall,  pri- 
vate. M.  O.  June  it,  1865:  Henry  J.  Ruby, 
killed  at  Chickamauga  September  26, 
1863;  Silas  Routledge,  private,  M.  O.  May 
23.  1865;  William  Routledge,  private, 
wounded  and  missing"  in  action  at  Chicka- 
mauga, September  20,  1863:  James  Ram- 
say, private,  died  at  Danville,  Ky.,  January 
IT,  1863;  Wm.  E.  Rush,  private,  died  at 
Danville.  Ky.,  January  31,  1863;  Levias 
Rul)y.  private,  died  at  Franklin,  Tenn., 
April  23,  1863;  Francis  M.  Rush,  private, 
mustered  out  June  11,  1865  ;  Isaac  B.  Smith, 
died  at  Richmond  Ky.,  January  i,  1863; 
Jesse  M.  Stark,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1865;  Samuel  Teter,  private,  discharged 
June  24,  1863  (disability)  ;  James  E. 
Traves,  died  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  April  22, 
1863;  Wm.  D.  Thompson,  private,  wound- 
ed and  missing  in  action  at  Chickamauga. 
September  20,  1863;  Wm.  White,  private, 
discharged  February  4,  1863  (disability)  ; 
Loton  G.  Williams,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1863;  Francis  E.  Wood,  private,  discharged 
December  27,  1862  (disability)  ;  James  M. 
West,  private,  discharged  July  9,  1862  (dis- 
ability) ;  Geo.  T.  White,  private,  discharged 
April  18,  1863  (disability)  ;  Joseph  W. 
Waddle,  private,  M.  O.  June  11,  1863; 
Peter  C.  Young,  private,  M.  O.  June  11, 
1863. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Infantry 
Regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  by  Col.  Na- 
thaniel Niles,  at  Camp  Butler,  in  October, 
1862,  and  mustered  into  service  Oct.  25, 
1862.  Company  D  of  this  regiment  was 
mostly  from  the  northw^estern  part  of  Chris- 
tian county.  It  was  recruited  mainly 
through  the  efforts  of  Capt.  Daniel  De- 
Camp,  of  Edinburg.     The  regiment  moved 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


lOT 


from  Camp  Butler,  Nov.  lo.  1862.  and  ar- 
rived at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  the  i8th  of  the 
same  month,  and  was  assigned  to  Provost 
(kity.  It  was  moved  from  this  point  to 
Louisiana.  Was  with  Gen.  Banks'  army 
1)onnd  for  Shreveport,  La.  On  marching 
fn^ii  Alexandria  up  Red  river,  driving  the 
enemy  until  Sabine  Cross  Roads  was 
reached  on  the  8th  of  April,  1864,  when 
the  enemy  made  an  attack  and  defeated  the 
Union  forces.  The  next  day  another  battle 
was  fought  at  Pleasant  Hill,  ending  in  the 
complete  defeat  of  the  Confederates  after 
which  Gen.  Banks  retreated  down  the  river. 
This  is  known  in  history  as  "Gen.  Banks' 
Disaster  on  Red  River."  The  part  Com- 
pany D  bore  in  this  fight  is  more  particular- 
ly detailed  in  a  letter  to  the  Independent 
Press  of  this  county,  written  by  Aaron  V. 
Davis,  a  private  from  Camp  Ford  (near  Ty- 
ler), Texas,  dated  April  20,  1864.  It  says: 
"The  character  of  the  fight  and  the  fate  of 
the  130th  regiment  and  the  part  our  Com- 
pany bore  in  it  you  doubtless  have  learned 
ere  this.  Company  D,  of  Christian  county, 
went  into  the  fight  at  Mansfield,  April  8, 
1864,  with  thirty-one  men,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieut.  Paulen  (as  Capt.  DeCamp 
was  under  arrest  for  some  trivial  offence 
and  in  consecjuence  was  not  with  us). 

The  following  are  the  losses  in  killed 
and  wounded  of  Company  D : 

Killed — Elijah  J.  Bankston  of  Edinburg. 
Wounded — G.  W.  Westbrook,  badly;  Cy- 
rus Murphy,  Allen  Moore,  Jacob  E.  Berry. 
Prisoners — Jasper  Gagle,  Nathan  C.  Potts, 
Alexander  May,  Aaron  V.  Ralston,  Aquilla 
M.  Council,  G.  W.  Young,  Aaron  V.  Davis, 
William  Kelsey,  Othniel  McKenzie, 
Thomas  W.  Orr,  Joseph  Murray,  Charles 
Gonzeal,  Ben  K.  Prater  and  Geo.  Bunn. 
The  rest  of  the  Company  is  missing,  .and 
their  fate  at  present  is  unknown," 


In  October,  1864,  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  New  Orleans  for  Provost  duly. 
Whilst  here,  by-  an  order  issued  Jan.  21, 
1865,  the  130th  regiment  was  consolidated 
with  the  77th  Illinois  Volunteers.  Some 
of  the  ofticers  w^ere  retained  and  others 
mustered  out.  On  the  ist  of  March,  1865, 
the  consolidated  77th  regiment  was  assigned 
to  the  First  Brigade,  3d  Division,  13th 
Army  Corps,  and  transported  for  duty  be- 
fore Mobile,  Ala.  The  regiment  was  then 
witli  Gen.  Canby's  army  during  the  entire 
siege  and  capture  of  the  Spanish  Forts 
Blakeley  and  Mobile,  and  was  under  fire 
during  the  entire  time.  The  day  following 
the  entry  into  Mobile,  the  77th  regiment  was 
with  forces  in  their  march  up  the  Tombig- 
bee  river,  in  search  of  Gen.  Dick  Taylor's 
army.  After  proceeding  up  the  river  some 
sixty  miles,  it  was  recalled  to  Mobile,  the 
Confederate  forces  throughout  the  country 
having  surrendered. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  1861;,,  an  order  was 
issued  to  revive  the  130th  regiment,  and  it 
was  moved  to  New  Orleans,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service,  Aug.  15,  1865,  and 
arrived  at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  Aug.  26,  1865, 
where   it   received   final   payment   and    dis- 


charge. 


Roll  of  Company  D. 


Daniel  DeCamp,  Captain,  resigned  June 
nth,  1864;  Robert  W.  Orr,  Captain  M. 
O.  at  Consolidation  Jan.  25,  1865:  Abra- 
ham May,  I  St  Lieutenant,  resigned  Feb. 
2,  1864;  Jasper  Cagle,  ist  Lieutenant,  M. 
O.  as  Sergeant,  77th  Inf.,  Aug.  15,  1865 
(prisoner  of  war)  ;  James  B.  Halford.  2d 
Lieutenant,  discharged  July  3,  1863 ;  Sam- 
uel S.  Prater,  Sergeant ;  Jacob  A.  Cook, 
Sergeant,  discharged  Feb.  3,  1863;  Wm. 
T.  Crosswait,  Sergeant,  discharged  May  5, 
1864  for  Pro.;  Nathan  C.  Potts,  Corporal, 


108 


PAST  AND  -PRESENT 


J\I.  O.  June  17,  i8^\t  (prisoner):  Charles 
Smith.  Corporal,  M.  ().  Aug-.  14.  1865; 
William  T.  Hill,  Corporal,  deserted  Jan.  26, 
1863;  John  Hazlett,  Cori)oral ;  Alex.  May, 
Corporal,  M.  O.  June  17,  1865  (prisoner); 
Charles  W.  Graham,  Ccirporal,  M.  O.  Aug. 
T5,  1865;  Uriah  Phares,  Corporal,  absent, 
sick  at  AT.  O.  Regt. ;  Jas.  M.  Redfern,  Cor- 
poral, deserted  Jan.  26,  1864;  Rufus  D. 
Langley.  wagoner,  deserted  Jan.  26,  1863: 
Isaac  Bishop,  private,  deserted  Jan.  26, 
1863;  Jas.  F.  P>erry,  ])rivate;  Charles  P>ev- 
erly,  private,  killed  at  Vicksburg,  May  22, 
1863;  Jesse  Blount,  private,  died  at  Vicks- 
burg. June  4.  1863;  Benj.  X.  Berry,  private, 
M.  O.  -Aug.  15,  1865:  Nelson  Burris,  pri- 
vate, M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865;  Geo.  Bnnn,  pri- 
vate, M.  O.  June  17,  1865;  Aquilla  M. 
Council,  private,  M.  O.  June  17.  1865 
(pri.soner)  ;  John  W.  Casey,  private;  Will- 
iam M.  Casey,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865;  David  M.  Cagle,  private,  M.  O.  Aug. 

15.  1865;  Leander  J.  Duncan,  M.  O.  Aug. 

16,  1865  as  2d  Lieut.;  John  A.  Davis,  pri- 
vate, died  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Jan.  14,  1863; 
Oliver  DeAuglish,  private;  Thomas  N. 
Dickson,  deserted  Jan.  26,  1863;  Aaron  V. 
Davis,  private  M.  O.  June  15,  1865  (pris- 
oner) ;  Daniel  N.  Dodd,  private,  killed  at 
Vicksburg,  June  2,  1863;  Johu' W.  Ed- 
wards, died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Jan.  12, 
1863;  Amos  D.  Finley,  private  j\I.  O.  Aug. 
15,  1865;  John  M.  Fleming,  private,  M.  O. 
Aug.  15,  1865;  Samuel  Gaines,  private,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865;  Charles  Gonzeal,  private, 
M.  O.  June  15,  1865  (prisoner  of  war)  ; 
Elam  Gulden,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865  (furlough)  ;  John  Hicks,  private,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865;  Charles  Hildebrand,  pri- 
vate, de.serted  Jan.  26,  1863;  James  Hanon, 
private;  John  R.  Halford.  died  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  Jan.  8,  1863;  Wm.  H.  Halford,  pri- 
vate, discharged  March  21.  1864;  David  L. 


Harris,  ])rivatc.  died  New  Orleans,  March 
21.  1864;  William  D.  Harvey,  private; 
W'm.  M.  Harris,  private;  William  Joy,  pri- 
vate: David  Jessup,  private,  killed  at  Vicks- 
burg, May  22,  1863:  William  Kelsey,  ])ri- 
vate.  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865  (prisoner  of 
war)  ;  Thomas  Knave,  private,  M.  O.  Aug. 
15,  1865;  William  .\.  Knave,  private,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865:  Robert  B.  Kerns,  pri- 
vate, transfer  to  Inv.  Corps  I-'eb.  23,  1864; 
Wm.  H.  D.  Lancaster,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865  as  Corporal;  Wm.  E.  Leisure,  private, 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  1863 ;  Edv.-ard  L. 
Leigh.  ])rivate;  Othoniel  McKenzie,  pri- 
vate. M.  O.  June  17,  1865  (prisoner  of 
war)  :  Joseph  Murray,  private,  M.  O.  June 
17,  1865  (prisoner  of  war)  ;  Levi  Miller, 
private,  died  in  service  in  Laf. ;  Allen  Moore, 
private,  absent,  sick  M.  O.  of  Regt. ;  Cy- 
rus Murphy,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865; 
Allen  May,  private,  absent,  sick  at  M.  O. 
Regt.;  William  S.  Matthews,  private,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865;  Thos.  W.  Orr.  private, 
M.  O.  June  17,  1865  (prisoner  of  war)  ; 
Benj.  F.  Overton,  private;  James  H.  Odell, 
private,  killed  accidentally  July  15,  1865; 
Jesse  H.  Potts,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865;  Samuel  R.  Prater,  private,  discharged 
Dec.  12,  1863  for  promotion;  James  Pul- 
len,  private,  deserted  Sept.  28,  1863;  Eli- 
phas  Prater,  private,  died  at  Memphis,  Jan. 
21,  1863;  Peter  P.  Peters,  private,  killed  at 
Vicksburg,  May  22,  1863;  John  H.  Rich- 
ardson, private:  Aaron  V.  Ralston,  private, 
trans,  to  77th  Regt. :  Hiram  Randolph,  pri- 
vate:  Wm.  E.  Richardson  private;  John 
W.  Stamphill,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865:  Hiram  M.  Smith,  private,  discharged 
Tan.  22.  1863  (disability)  ;  John  B.  Smith, 
l)rivate;  Wm.  J.  Smith,  jirivate,  M.  O.  June 
17,  1865  (prisoner  of  war)  ;  Elijah  T. 
Westbrook.  trrms.  to  Inv.  Corps  Feb.  23, 
1864;  Joseph  Workman,  private;  Geo.  W. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


109 


Yoiing',  private,  M.  O.  June  17,  1865  (was 
prisoner)  ;  Elijah  J.  Bankston,  killed  on 
Red  River,  La.,  April  8,  1864;  Godfrey  P. 
Knave,  recruit,  died  at  Memphis,  Decem- 
ber, 1862;  Perry  Prickett.  recruit;  Richard 
T.  Phips,  recruit;  Benj.  K.  Prater,  recruit, 
M.  O.  June  17,  1865  (prisoner  of  war)  ; 
Wm.  F.  Sampson,  recruit,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865  ;  Stephen  White,  recruit,  died  at  Mem- 
phis, Feb.   19,   1863. 

Company  A — 130TH   Regiment. 
Sinnct  Matthews,  Corjioral. 

Company  C — 124TH   Regiment. 
Alfred  H.  Titus,  M.  O.  Aug.    15,   1865. 

Company   K. 

Peter  C.  Rape,  ist  Sergt.,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865  ;  George  W.  James,  3d  Corporal,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865;  Joseph  Wagoner,  4th 
Corporal,  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865,  as  Cor- 
poral ;  Geo.  W.  Easley,  6th  Corporal,  M.  O. 
Aug.  15,  1865,  as  Corporal;  Wm.  B.  Han- 
kins,  7th  Corporal.  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865, 
as  Corporal ;  John  Y.  Easley,  private,  M. 
O.  Aug.  15,  1865,  ^^  Corporal;  George 
Hardin,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865,  as 
Corporal ;  Joseph  B.  Hardin,  private,  M.  O. 
Aug.  15,  1865,  as  Corporal;  Shephard  Hud- 
son, private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865.  as  Cor- 
poral ;  Jacob  B.  Proctor,  private,  M.  O. 
Aug.  15,  1865,  as  Corporal;  Samuel  Peek, 
private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15,  1865,  as  Corporal; 
Wm.  R.  Pugh,  private,  M.  O.  Aug.  15, 
1865,  as  Corporal ;  Wm.  H.  Craddock,  pri- 
vate, discharged  May  5,  1863  (disability)  ; 
John  M.  Robinson,  private,  discharged 
March  20,  1863  (disability)  ;  John  D.  Til- 
ley,  private,  discharged  Dec.  13,  1862  (dis- 
ability) ;  Benj.  K.  Proctor,  Sergt.,  died 
Jan.  23,  1864,  Pawnee;  Harrison  T.  Easley, 
died  December  4,  1862,  Black  River,  Miss.; 


Joseph  Kirk,  jirivate,  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  March  3,  1863;  Presley  Peek,  died 
of  wounds  at  Vicksburg,  June  zy,  1863; 
Presley  T.  Peek,  died  Lake  Providence, 
La.,  March  28,  1863;  Wm.  J.  Pugh,  pri- 
vate, died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Feb.  6.  1863; 
John  W.  Galyen,  deserted  at  Vicksburg, 
July  31,  1863;  Jasper  Hudson,  deserted  at 
Vicksburg,  July  31,  1863;  Gilbert  H.  Han- 
kins,  private,  died  at  home,  Dec.  23,   1864 

Company   F — 59TH    Regiment. 

Joseph  Logan,  recruit,  drafted,  M.  O. 
Oct.  16,  1865;  Joseph  Handle,  recruit; 
Calvert  Thompson,  recruit,  sub..  M.  O.  Oct. 
16,  1865;  Morgan  Milligan,  recruit  sub., 
M.  O.  Oct.  16,  1865. 

Company  H — SQth  Regiment. 

Reuben  G.  Coffey,  sub..  M.  O.  Oct.  16, 
1865;  Samuel  Oram,  M.  O.  July  17,  1865 
(drafted). 

Company  K — 59TH  Regiment, 

Robert  M.  Stockton,  private,  deserted 
Oct.  25,  1862. 

Company  G — 620   Regiment. 

Geo.  W.  Beard,  died  at  Camp  Butler, 
Feb.   12.   1864. 

Company  H — 62D  Regiment. 

Jno.  W.  Allsman,  Sergt..  M.  O.  May  2, 
1865,  as  private;  Marquis  Allsman.  veteran, 
M.  O.  March  6.  1866;  Thos.  B.  Harris, 
died  at  Duvall's  Blufif.  Ark.,  Aug.  20,  1864; 
Joseph  Vinmore,  M.  O.  March  6.  1866. 

Company  D — 63D   Regiment. 

Andrew  L.  Anderson,  veteran,  M.  O. 
July  13,  1865;  Aden  E.  Cherington.  vet- 
eran, M.  O.  July  13,  1865,  1st  Sergt.; 
Com.   I  St  Lieut.,  but  not  mustered;  Leroy 


no 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


H.  Cherington.  veteran.  ]\r  O.  July  13. 
1865;  Leon  L.  H.  Cherington,  veteran,  M. 
O..  July  27,  1865;  Loraine  C  Cherington, 
veteran,  M.  O.  jnly  13.  1865;  John  A. 
Tsaminger,  veteran,  promoted  Sergt.-Major ; 
WilHam  D.  Orr.  veteran,  M.  O.  Jnly  13. 
1865. 

CoMl'AXV   C r)4TTT    1\  F.C.I  MK. XT. 

John  Smith,  discharged  I'>1).  8.   1865. 

Miscellaneous. 

W'm.  ^^.  Provine.  ist  Lient..  Company 
P).  84th  111.  Regt..  Vermont.  111..  ]irisoner  of 
war.  taken  at  Atlanta,  da.,  and  confined  at 
Colnm1)ia,  he  was  lionorahly  discharged 
May  13,  1865.  Now  a  resident  of  Taylor- 
ville.  W.  E.  Rosemond.  of  ist  Ohio  Cav- 
alry, Company  B  for  one  year ;  then  pro- 
moted to  2nd  Lient.  in  Company  A,  97th 
Ohio.  Inf.  Regt. ;  n(nv  a  resident  of  Taylor- 
ville.  W'm.  H.  Kani),  i)rivate  in  Capt.  A. 
I'ovd  I  Intchinson's  Company  C,  49th  Penn 
\'ol. ;  entered  Ang.  31.  1861,  and  honomlily 
discharged  Oct.  2T,,  1864;  served  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  nnder  Gen.  Sedg- 
wick; saw  his  general  fall.  James  M.  Tay- 
lor, of  Warren  county.  111.,  Sergt.  in  Com- 
pany C,  96th  Til.  Regt. ;  in  the  service  near- 
ly three  years ;  lost  an  arm  in  an  engagement 
at  "Buzzard  Roost  Cia])."  north  of  Dalton, 
Ga..  in  1864;  discharged  March  18,  1865, 
as  Sergeant  on  account  of  wounds;  this 
regiment  was  organized  at  Rockwood,  111., 
Sept.  T),  1862,  ])y  Col.  Thomas  E.  Cham- 
pion; James  M.  Taylor  is  now  (1880)  a 
resident  of  Taylorville,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law.  Benj.  Doinhlazer,  Adju- 
tant of  46th  111.  Regt. ;  promoted  Major  and 
then  Colonel  of  Regt.  Brevet  Brig.  Gen. ; 
now  a  citizen  of  Assumption,  v 


Third  C.w.m.rv  Regiment. 

The  Colonel  of  this  regiment  was  Eu- 
gene Carr,  of  the  regular  army.  Company 
M.  from  Christian  county,  comi^osed  a  part 
of  it.  The  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp 
Ihitler,  in  .\ugust,  1861.  Its  first  move- 
ment was  to  St.  Louis,  Septemher  25th,  and 
thence  up  the  Missouri  river  to  Jefferson 
Cilv.  .'uid  thence  to  Warsaw,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Springfield,  Mo.  Under  Gen. 
Hunter  it  reached  Rolla,  November  19. 
where  it  remained  till  the  29th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1861,  when  it  moved  in  advance  of 
Gen.  Curtis'  army  for  the  southwest.  . 

On  the  13th  of  Febriiary,  1862,  near 
Springfield,  the  Third  Cavalry  fought  the 
fir.st  engagement  and  won  the  first  victory 
of  Gen.  Curtis'  campaign. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1862,  occupied 
S])ringfield.  Mo.  On  the  15th  came  up  with 
Gen.  Price's  retreating  army  and  took  some 
prisoners.  On  the  i8th  at  Sugar  Creek, 
.\rk..  the  Third  battalion  ]iarticipated  in  a 
cavalrv  charge,  routing  the  enemy.  TTad 
various  skirmishes  and  .short  marches  dur- 
ing the  summer  and  fall  in  Arkansas  and 
west  of  the  Mississippi  ri\er,  when  on  tlie 
23d  of  December,  1862,  Company  M,  with 
other  companies,  reported  to  Brig.  Gen. 
Steel,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo  river, 
formed  part  of  the  force  and  did  good  ser- 
vice in  the  disastrous  attack  on  Vick.sburg, 
Miss.,  under  Gen.  Sherman.  Company  M 
was  among  the  last  to  leave  the  field  and 
embark  on  the  boats  after  the  battle. 

The  Battalion  of  wdiich  Company  M 
formed  a  part,  under  Col.  McCrillis  of 
Springfield.  III.  took  a  part  in  the  Western 
Louisiana  campaign  under  Gen.  Banks.  Li 
December.  1864,  Major  O'Conner,  of  Pana, 
took  command  of  the  Battalion  and  it  moved 
to  Port  Hudson,  and  from  thence  to  Mem- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


Ill 


jibis,  Tenn.,  rejoining  the  regiment,  which 
liad  been  separated  into  three  (hvi.sions.  In 
the  month  of  Jnly  a  large  portion  of  the 
regiment  re-enHsted  as  veterans.  The  non- 
N'eterans,  nnder  INIajor  O'Conner,  were  sta- 
tioned as  garrison  at  Germantown,  Tenn., 
On  the  2 1  St  of  Angnst  the  regiment  partici- 
pated in  the  repulse  of  Gen.  Forrest,  in  his 
attack  on  Memphis.  On  the  24th  of  Au- 
gust, 1864,  the  non-\'eterans  ha\'ing  been 
mustered  out,  the  veterans  were  consoli- 
dated into  a  Battalit)n  of  six  companies. 
Part  of  Company  M  went  into  the  new  ar- 
rangement and  the  remainder  were  mus- 
tered out,  their  time  having  expired. 

The  Battalion  operated  below  and  around 
Nashville  and  took  part  in  tiie  battles  with 
Gen.  Hood's  army  in  December,  1864.  In 
May,  1865,  it  embarked  for  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
thence  to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  reporting  to 
Major  Gen.  Curtis.  On  the  4th  of  July, 
1865,  it  was  ordered  on  an  Indian  expedi- 
tion over  the  plains  of  Minnesota  and  Da- 
kota, north  to  the  British  lines,  and  then 
returned  to  Fort  Snelling,  October  ist,  ar- 
riving at  Springfield,  111.,  Oct.  13th,  1865, 
and  was  mustered  out  of  service.  Such  are 
some  of  the  leading  movements  of  the 
Third  Cavalry  Regiment, '  in  which  Com- 
pany M  largely  participated. 

Muster  Roll  of  Company  M. 

James  H.  O'Conner,  Major,  M.  O.  June 
1865,  as  Lieut. ;  Geo.  E.  Pease,  Captain, 
resigned  Dec.  17,  1861 ;  Shuler  Vrooman, 
Capt.  in  Vet.  Bat.,  time  exp.  March  9,  1865  ; 
Henry  M.  Condee,  ist  Lieut.,  resigned  Nov. 
2^,  1861  ;  Chas.  F.  Russell,  ist  Lieut.,  term 
expired  Sept.  5,  1864;  Joseph  Horseman, 
2d  Lieut.,  died,  commission  not  sent. 

Fifth  Cavalry  Regiment. 
This   regiment   was   organized    at   Camp 
Butler,  Nov.  8,  1861,  and  Hall  Wilson,  for- 


merly of  Buckhart,  appointed  its  Colonel. 
Company  G  of  this  regiment  was  recruited 
partly  in  Pike  county,  111.,  by  Capt.  J.  A. 
Harvey,  and  partly  by  First  Lieut.  Wm. 
N.  Elliot  of  Pana,  Christian  county,  111.. 
September  i,  1861.  Left  foi  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks, Feb.  20,  1862.  On  the  3d  of  March 
reached  Pilot  Knob.  On  the  27th  marched 
to  Doniphan,  and  arriving  April  1st,  had  a 
skirmish  with  the  enemy,  captured  their 
camp,  killing  three  and  taking  seven  pris- 
oners. April  17th  marched  to  Pocahontas 
and  on  the  27th  of  June  started  on  the 
march  for  the  Mississippi  river,  reached 
Jacksonport  29th  and  joined  Gen  Curtis' 
army,  had  a  fight  at  Cotton  Plant,  in  which 
the  enemy  lost  300  killed  and  wounded. 
Arrived    at    Helena,    Arkansas,    July    13th, 

1862.  On  the  22d  of  October.  1862,  a 
forage  train  was  attacked  liy  the  enemy, 
and  Lieut.  Elliott  and  78  men  of  the  cavalry 
(13  of  these  were  of  Company  G)  were 
captured,  after  losing  i  killed  and  6  wound- 
ed. November  27,  1862,  Company  G  burned 
l)ridge  near  Grenada,   Miss.      On  Jan.    11, 

1863.  the  regiment  made  an  expedition  to 
Duvall's  Bluff,  and  in  April  Marmaduke, 
who  was  retreating  from  Missouri,  May 
29th,  1863,  left  Helena,  Ark.,  and  embarked 
for  Vicksburg.  and  June  ist  landed  at 
Haines  Bluff.  June  3d  made  a  reconnois- 
sance  to  Mechanicsburg;  drove  the  enemy 
ten  miles,  skirmishing  heavily,  capturing  43 
prisoners  losing  i  killed  and  7  wounded. 
In  July,  was  with  Gen.  Sherman's  army  at 
Jackson,  Miss.  Was  in  the  expedition  to 
Meriden,  Canton,  and  Grenada.  In  Au- 
gust at  the  Yellowbush,  destroyed  40  en- 
gines and  320  cars  by  burning.  On  the  21st 
August  encountered  Blythe's  cavalry  at 
Coldwater,  and  defeated  them,  the  regiment 
losing  I  killed  and  5  wounded.  Arrived 
at   Memphis    22d   August,    1863.      On   the 


112 


PAST  AND   PRKSENT 


jyth  August  cmUarkcd  for  Vicksburg.  In 
October  with  (leu.  McPberson's  i/th  Army 
Corps,  at  Jackson,  took  part  in  a  cavalry 
cbarge  at  Brownville,  routing  General 
Wirt  Adams.  Tn  this  the  regiment  lost  two 
wounded  and  one  prisoner.  January  ist, 
1864.  many  of  the  regiment  re-enlisted  as 
veterans.  On  1 7th  March,  the  veterans 
were  furloughed  till  May  loth,  1864.  On 
May  27th,  Col.  John  McConnell,  of  Spring- 
field, took  command  of  the  regiment.  Eight 
Companies  dismounted  and  did  garrison 
duty.  Companies  A,  B,  C  an.d  D,  were  fully 
mounted  and  equipped.  During  the  months 
of  July  and  Se]itember,  the  Battalion  w-as 
at  Jackson  and  Port  Gibson,  skirmishing 
and  fighting  frequently.  From  Natchez, 
with  the  4th  Illinois,  cavalry  and  a  battery, 
moved  to  Tonica  Bend.  Landed  and  moved 
to  Wood\'i]le;  surprised  and  captured  a 
camp  of  the  enemy.  During  the  night  the 
enemy  adxanced  with  three  cannon  and  600 
men.  Thev  were  met  next  morning  bv 
Col.  McConnell.  and  dri\en  in  confusion, 
and  3  cannon  were  captured.  Returned  to 
Vicksburg,   Oct.    nth,    1864.      In  January, 

1864,  moved  to  Memphis;  was  in  an  ex- 
pedition to  Southern  Arkansas  and  North- 
ern Louisiana,  returning  February  13th. 
July  1st  moved  to  Texas  via  Red  River; 
reached  Hempstead,  Texas,  August  26th. 
Remained   at   this   post   until   October  6th, 

1865,  when  the  regiment  moved  to  Spring- 
field. 111.,  was  mustered  out,  receiving  final 
payment,  October  30,  1865.  The  follow^ing 
persons  in  this  regiment  were  from  Christian 
county : 

Muster  Roll. 

Wilson  Hall,  Colonel,  resigned  Jan.  19, 
1863 ;  John  McConnell.  Colonel,  promoted 
Brvt.  Brig.  Gen. ;  Joshua  Tuthill,  Adjutant. 


Ijromoled  Ca])t.  Co.  -A;  Charles  W.  Sibley, 
Commis.  Sergt.,  dis.  Oct.  26,  1862. 

Company  A. 

Joshua  Tuthill.  Captain,  M.  O.  as  Ad- 
jutant, Oct.  27,  1865. 

Company  B. 

Win.  N.  Elliott,  1st  Lieut.,  M.  O.  Nov. 
8,  1864;  Charles  W'.  Sibley,  Sergeant,  pro- 
moted Commis.  Sergt.  2d  Battalion,  M.  O. 
Oct.  26,  1865;  John  F.  Heath,  died  at  Po- 
cahontas, Ark.,  June  22d.  1862;  Wm.  P. 
Slack,  bugler,  discharged  Aug.  17,  1862; 
Samuel  Y.  Anderson,  private,  discharged 
(disability)  ;  Stephen  D.  Cooper,  private, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Allen  Johnson,  pri- 
vate, re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Henry  John- 
son. pri\ate;  John  P.  Lemons,  private,  dis- 
charged May  12.  1862;  Henry  J.  Luckin- 
bill.  pri\ate,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  William 
A.  Skiles,  private,  mustered  out  Nov.  8, 
1864;  Chas.  K.  Slack,  private,  re-enlisted 
as  Vet.  M.  O.  November,  1864;  Stephen 
D.  Cooper,  veteran,  mustered  out  Oct.  27, 
1865  ;  Allen  Johnson,  veteran,  M.  O.  Oct. 
2'j ,  1865 ;  Henry  Johnson,  veteran,  died  at 
Vicksburg,  Nov.  16,  1864;  Henry  G.  Luck- 
indell.  died  Sept.  25,  1863:  Shelfy  Corn- 
hert.  recruit,  absent  sick  at  M.  O.  of  Regt. ; 
Joel  N.  Garrison,  saddler,  recruit ;  Jas.  K, 
P.  Garrison,  recruit,  M.  O.  Oct.  27,  1865; 
Levi  Walker,  recruit,  regular  discharge. 

Company  M. 

W'illard  C.  Davis,  recruit,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran;  John  J.  Kaddle,  recruit,  died  at 
Helena.  Ark..  Oct.  8.  1864. 

Sixth  Cavalry  Regiment. 

Among  the  unassigncd  recruits  is  noted 
one  from  Christian  county.  Wm  Hobbs. 
mustered  out  May  12^(\,  1865. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


113 


Seventh  Cavalry  Regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  in  Septem- 
1)er.  1861,  with  Wm.  Pitt  Kellogg,  of  Ful- 
ton county,  as  its  Colonel.  The  names  of 
a   few   Christian  county  soldiers  appear   in 

it. 

Company  H 

James  W.  Patrick,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ; 
Americns  Patrick,  discharged  Nov.  10, 
1862  (disability)  :  John  R.  Patrick,  dis- 
charged June  2,  1862  (disabilitv)  ;  Wm. 
R.  Tabler,  discharged  Oct.  15,  1862  (dis- 
ability) ;  James  W.  Patrick,  veteran,  M.  O. 
Nov.  4.  1865;  Albert  Fowks,  recruit,  dis- 
charged ;  James  A,  Tabler,  died  at  Mound 
City,  111.,  June  i,  1862;  Peter  Hamilton, 
unassigned,  recruit,  dis.  May  11,  1865; 
Daniel  Murphy;  Charles  D.  Roberts,  en- 
tered service  April  15,  1865. 

Eighth   Cavalry   Regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  St. 
Charles,  111.,  in  September,  1861.  with  J. 
F.  Farnsworth,  as  its  Colonel.  Its  field  of 
operation  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac. Was  in  the  battle  of  Antietam.  A 
few  names  appear  in  it. 

Company  M — Unas.signed  Recruits. 
Joseph  Bennett,  entered  the  service  Ap- 
ril 15,  1865;  John  Carney,  entered  the  ser- 
vice April  12,  1865;  Joseph  Hyzer.  entered 
the  service  April  12,  1865;  David  Lee,  en- 
tered the  service  April  12,  1865  ;  John  Mur- 
phy, entered  the  service  April  12.  1865; 
Clarence  Williams,  discharged  February. 
1864  (disability)  ; 

Tenth  Cavalry  Regiment. 
This  Regiment  was  organized  at  Camp 
Butler,  Illinois,  Nov.  25,  1861.  James  A. 
Barrett  was  its  first  Colonel,  who  resigned 
May  15,  1862,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel 
Dudley  W^ickersham  of  Spring-field,  Illinois. 


On  the  20th  of  December,  i86t,  it  moved  to 
Ouincy,  Illinois,  and  from  thence  to  Jeffer- 
son Barracks.  Mo.,  on  the  13th  of  March, 
1862.  It  operated  in  southwest  Mis.souri 
till  November  13th,  when  it  formed  a  part 
of  the  .\rmy  of  the  b^rontier,  and  was  in 
line  of  duty  from  Springfield,  Mo.,  to  Cane 
Hill,  Arkansas.  It  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Prairie  Grove,  Ark.,  Dec.  7,  1862.  Was 
at  Jackson\'ille,  Ark.,  July  4,  1862;  Helena, 
Julv  12,  and  August  7  moved  tO'  Old  Town 
Landing.  Oct.  6,  1862,  returned  to  Helena 
and  No\'ember  16  marched  with  the  expedi- 
tion to  the  mouth  of  White  river;  and  on 
November  27th  to  Oakland.  Miss.  Had  a 
skirmish  with  the  enemy  and  returned  to 
Helena  Dec.  7,  1862. 

The  original  service  tern.i  of  the  Tenth 
and  Fifteenth  Regiments,  Illinois  Cavalry 
Volunteers  having  expired,  an  order  of  con- 
solidation was  issued  January  26,  1865,  for 
the  re-enlisted  men,  and  recruits  of  the  same, 
to  be  formed  into  twelve  companies,  and 
reorganized  as  the  Tenth  Regiment,  Illinois 
Cavalry. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice Nov.  22d  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and 
ordered  to  Springfield,  111.,  for  final  pay- 
ment and  discharge.  The  following  sol- 
diers in  it  are  from  Christian  county,  in 
different  companies : 

Muster  Roll — Company  A. 

Thomas  Bradley,  Veteran-Commis.  Sergt. 
in  Co.  A,  of  Veterans,  as  re-organized; 
absent  on  detached  duty  at  M.  O.  of  the 
Regt. ;  Henry  N.  Graham,  Veteran,  M.  O. 
Nov.  22,  1865  ;  Jesse  W.  Holman,  died  at 
Baton  Rouge,  La.,  July  22,  1865. 

Company  B. 

John  H.  Peters,  mustered  out  Dec.  30, 
1864;  Fletcher  Romeril,  re-enlisted  as  Vet- 


114 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


eran ;  (ieorge  Steel,  mustered  out  Dec.  30, 

1864;    Henry   Steel,    mustered   out    Jan.   6, 

1865;    Henry   Warner,    mustered   out    Dec. 

30,    1864;    Isaac    N.    Watts,    re-enlistcd   as 

Veteran;  Joseph  Westbrooks.  re-enlisted  as 

Veteran;  Fletcher  Romeril.  trans,  to  Co.  B 

Vet,  AI.  ().  Nov.  22,  1865;  Isaac  N.  Watts, 

trans,    to    Co.    B.    Vet.,    prom.    2d    Lieut.; 

Josei)h   Westbrooks,  trans.  Co.   B  Vet.,  M. 

O.  Nov.  22,   1865;  Andrew  B.  Apple,  died 

Little  Rock,  Ark.,  Nov.   19,  1863;  Jno.  W. 

Westbrooks,  trans.  Co.  B  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov. 

22,   1865. 

Company  E. 

Owen  T.  Athey,  Recruit,  deserted  April 
30,  1863;  David  A.  Barnhart,  trans,  to  Co. 
E  Vet..  M.  O.  1865;  Milton  H.  Clements, 
trans.  Co.  E  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1864; 
Chas.  T.  Bledsoe,  trans,  to  Co.  E  Vet.,  M. 
O.  Nov.  22,  1865;  Francis  M.  Lowery, 
trans,  to  V.  R.  C,  May  4,  1865;  Geo.  M. 
Markwell,  trans,  to  Co.  E  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov. 
22,  1865 ;  Jesse  H.  Toothaker,  trans,  to  Co. 
E  Vet.,  M.  O.  June  6,  1865  ;  W^m.  J.  Terry, 
recruit,  trans,  to  Co.  E  Vet. ;  Wm.  White, 
trans,  to  Co.  E  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  12,  1865. 

Company  G. 
^^^illiam  Elgin,  recruit,  re-enlisted  as  Vet- 
eran ;  Alexander  Jones,  mustered  Dec.  30, 
1864.  as  Corpl. ;  Uz.  Judd,  re-enlisted  as 
Veteran  ;  John  Maloney,  re-enlisted  as  Vet- 
eran ;  Wm.  S.  Workman,  M.  O.  Dec.  30, 
1864  as  Corpl. ;  William  Elgan,  Vet.,  trans. 
Co.  G,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865;  Uz.  Judd, 
Veteran,  trans.  Co.  G,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865 ; 
John  Maloney,  trans.  Co.  G,  M.  O.  Nov.  22, 
1865;  Wm.  Shumate,  trans.  Co.  G  Vet., 
died  March  3,  1865;  Joseph  Workman,  re- 
cruit, died  at  Rolla.  Mo.,  May  i,  1862. 

Company  L. 
Tames  C.  McGinnis,  Sergeant,  re-enlisted 
as    Veteran :    Francis    McGinnis,    Corporal, 


re-enhsted  as  Veteran;  Aar(jn  B.  Shick, 
Cor])ora],  re-enlisted  as  Veteran;  George  B. 
Conner.  Private,  re-enlisted  as  Veteran; 
Wm.  H.  FLU.  Private,  re-enlisted  as  Vet- 
eran; Miller  Kelley,  Private,  mustered  out 
Dec.  30,  1864;  Aaron  V.  Matthews,  Pri- 
vate, mustered  out  Dec.  30,  1864;  Floyd 
Peters,  Private,  died  at  Marshfield,  Mo.. 
October,  1862;  Jefferson  S.  Smith,  Private, 
re-enlisted  as  Veteran;  Lorenzo  J.  Van 
Winkle,  Private,  re-enlisted  as  Veteran. 

Veterans. 

James  C.  McGinnis,  promoted  2d  Lieut. 
Co.  L;  Francis  M.  McGinnis,  trans.  Co.  B 
Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865  ;  Aaron  B.  Shick, 
trans.  Co.  I  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865; 
Geo.  B.  Conner,  private,  trans.  Co.  F  Vet. : 
William  Matthews,  private,  trans.  Co.  H 
Vet.;  John  Rice,  private,  trans.  Co.  H  Vet., 
M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865  ;  Jefferson  L.  Smith, 
trans.  Co.  H  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865; 
Lorenzo  J.  VanWinkle.  trans.  Co.  H  Vet., 
M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865;  Samuel  Bunstein, 
trans.  Co.  D  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865; 
Horatio  M.  Davis,  recruit,  trans.  Co.  D 
Vet. ;  Geo.  W.  Feugett,  recruit,  re-enlisted 
as  veteran ;  Geo.  W.  Ford,  trans.  Co.  D 
Vet.,  mustered  out  Nov.  22.  1865  ;  Egbert 
A.  Ford,  trans.  Co.  D  Vet.,  mustered  out 
Nov.  22,  1865;  Henry  Hinton,  recruit,  de- 
serted April  7,  1863;  Stephen  A.  Huns- 
ley,  recruit,  transferred  Co.  D  Vet., 
Jesse  Lanslev,  recruit,  mustered  out  Dec. 
30,  1864;  William  Matthews,  recruit,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran ;  John  Rice,  recruit,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran ;  William  Smith,  trans. 
Co.  F  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865 ;  Jas.  M. 
Taylor,  trans.  Co.  F  Vet..  Dis.  March  29, 
1865,  disab. ;  Jno.  White,  trans.  Co.  F  Vet., 
M.  b.  Nov.  22,  1865. 

Company  M. 
Geo.  W.  McDonald,  private,  died  Ark., 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


.115 


Sept.  13,  1863;  William  M.  McDonald,  pri- 
vate, re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  John  Pummil, 
private,  re-enlisted  as  veteran :  William  S. 
Peel,  private,  discharged  Aug.  18,  1862, 
disab. ;  Wm.  H.  McDonald,  trans,  Co.  C 
Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865  ;  John  Pummill, 
died  at  Little  Rock.  Ark.,  May  26,  1864; 
Geo.  B.  Richardson,  trans.  Co.  C  Vet.,  Nov. 
22,  1865  ;  Edward  J.  Bingham,  trans.  Co. 
C  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22.  1865;  Matthew  H. 
Copple,  trans.  Co.  C  Vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  22, 
1865  ;  James  M.  Fleming,  trans.  Co.  C  Vet., 
M.  O.  Nov.  22,  1865;  Wm.  R.  GoodJDy. 
trans.  Co.  C  Vet.,  M.  O.  June  22.  1865; 
James  H.  Cowan,  nnassigned  recruit; 
James  H.  Doroon,  unassigned  recruit ;  John 
T.  Easley,  unassigned  recruit,  trans.  Co.  E 
Vet. ;  Harrison  Gregory,  unassigiied  recruit ; 
Charles  H.  Turhill,  unassioned  recruit,  see 
Co.  E  Vet. 

iiTH  Cavalry  Regiment — Company  H. 
Levin    Johnson,     recruit,     mustered    out 
Sept.  30,  1865. 

Company  M. 

Columbus  Lenasters,  unassigned  recruit, 
mustered  out  May  23,  1865. 

14TH   Cavalry   Regiment — Company   E. 

Isaac  Steel,  transferred  Co.  C,  M.  O. 
July  31,  1865. 

i6th    Cavalry   Regiment — Company  D. 

Gaines  Lament,  recruit,  deserted  Nov. 
21,  1863. 

1ST  Artillery — Battery  D. 

Jasper  N.  Kelley,  recruit,  mustered  out 
July  28,  1865 ;  Daniel  Lockwood,  recruit, 
deserted  March  7,  1862. 

2D  Artillery — Battery  B. 

Alfred  C,  Lovejoy,  recruit,  term  expired 
June  20.  1864;  promoted  2d.  Lieut.  Co.  B, 
M.  O.  July  15,  1865. 


Battery  C. 

Wm.  A.  Dawson,  Corporal,  deserted 
July  12,  1862;  Henry  H.  Behymer,  Cor- 
poral, M.  O.  Oct.  22,  1864;  Enoch  C  Behy- 
mer, Corporal,  deserted  July  20,  1862 ; 
Charles  Humphreys,  Corporal,  discharged 
for  promotion  to  Lieut,  in  8th  U.  S.  Col- 
ored Heavy  Artillery;  Charles  F.  Hum- 
phreys, Corporal,  promoted  ist  Lieut.  Co. 
C,  M.  O.  Aug.  3,  1865;  Henry  Hardtner, 
Corporal,  M.  O.  Oct.  22,  1864,  as  Sergt. ; 
Geo.  W.  Lawton.  Corporal,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran ;  Jno.  A.  Suttle,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  George  W.  Lawton,  veteran,  mus- 
tered out  Aug.  3,  1865. 

Battery  C. 

Robert  Deegen,  recruit,  M.  O.  Aug.  3, 
1865;  Wm.  T.  Peters,  recruit,  discharged 
May  29,   1865,  disab. 

Battery  F. 
David    J.    Fleming,    died    at    Annapolis, 
Mel,  Feb.  14,  1865. 

Battery  K. 

Geo.  W.  Ritzman,  recruit,  M.  O.  May 
26,   1865. 

Battery  M. 

Alexander  Allen,  unas;?igned  recruit; 
John  Smith,  unassigned  recruit. 

29TH  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry. 

Company  I. 

Geo.  Ag-ee,  M.  O.  Nov.  6,  1865. 

Company  K. 

John  Pillow,  unassigned  recruit ;  James 
Smith,  unassigned  recruit :  Henry  Van 
Pierce,  unassigned  recruit,  substitute. 

13TH  U.  S.  Colored   Artillery.  . 
William     Chandler,     enlisted     April     11, 
1865;    Charles    Long,    enlisted    April     11, 
1865. 


116 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Miscellaneous  Organizations. 

Jas.  W.  Anderson,  Cavalry,  9th  Kansas 
Cavalry. 

First  Army  Corps. 

Roster  of  Enlisted  Men  oe  Company  10. 

Assigned  to  Company  K,  8th  Regiment 
U.  S.  Veteran  Volunteers : 

Joseph  Hoffman.  M.  O.  April  11,  1865, 
as  Corporal;  Andrew  J.  Ballns,  private, 
mustered  out  April  1  1.  1865;  Aimers  Coch- 
oran.  private,  mustered  out  April  11,  1865; 
Patrick  Byrne,  private,  mustered  out  April 
11,1 865  ;  Henry  Knapp,  private,  mustered 
out  Ai)ril  II,  1865;  James  Kervin,  private, 
mustered  out  April  11.  1865;  John  Paulus, 
private,  mustered  out  April  11,  1865;  Wm. 
R.  Burnett,  private,  mustered  out  April  11, 
1865;  ^^'illiam  Singsfield.  private,  mustered 
out  April  12,  1865;  William  Quielesh,  pri- 
vate, mustered  out  April  13,  1866;  Joseph 
Guenther,  private,  mustered  out  April  13, 
1866;  Leonard  Miller,  private,  mustered 
out  April  13,  1866;  Martin  Engle,  private, 
mustered  out  April  13,  1866;  Howell  G. 
Trogdon,  prixate,  mustered  out  April  13, 
1866;  John  Graves,  private,  mustered  out 
April  13,  1866;  Jacob  Hellwig,  priva.te, 
mustered  out  April  13,  1866;  James  Gun- 
ion,  private:  Wm.  Jennings,  private,  mus- 
tered out  Ai)ril  13,  1866;  Walter  Sjiangler, 
private,  mustered  out  Aj)ril   12,   1866. 

Enlisted  Men  of  Co.  No.   12. 

Christopher  Brammel,  enlisted  April  14. 
1865;  Abraham  Burgen,  enlisted  April  14, 
1865;  John  Becker,  enlisted  April  14.  1865; 
Joseph  A.  Crawford,  enli.sted  April  12, 
1865;  James  O.  Douglas,  enlisted  April  14, 
1865;  Simeon  Dabozyinsky,  enlisted  April 
14,  1865;  Michael  Goedert.  enlisted  April 
14.  1865;  Keller  Heist,  enlisted  April  13. 
1865;    John    Halshizer,   enlisted    April    12, 


1865;  John    Peppercorn,   enlisted   April    14, 
1865.    ■ 

Spanish-American  War. 

War  is  to  be  dreaded  and  the  governing 
power  of  any  nation  should  never  permit 
its  people  to  be  plunged  into  a  terrible  war 
unless  for  tlie  preservation  of  the  nation, 
its  people,  property  and  integrity.  When 
these  are  attacked,  war.  terrible  as  it  is, 
may  be  resorted  to  by  any  nation  for  the 
preservation  of  its  rights  and  honor.  The 
Spanish-American  War  of  1898  between 
Spain  and  the  United  States  was  doubtless 
precipitated  by  the  blowing  up  of  ou.r  battle 
ship  Maine  in  the  harbor  of  Havana  on 
Feb.  15,  1898,  and  the  destruction  of  260 
of  her  sailors.  A  history  of  the  causes 
which  led  to  this  w-ar  is  not  necessary  to  be 
recounted  here  in  detail,  but  it  is  sufficient 
for  the  purposes  of  this  article  to  mention 
that  the  relations  between  the  United  States 
and  Spain  had  been  for  a  long  time  strained. 
The  ])eople  of  the  ETnited  States  were  dis- 
gusted \\ith  the  conduct  of  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment towards  the  Cuban  inhabitants,  es- 
pecially that  of  Capt.  Gen.  Weyler,  by 
whose  orders  many  of  the  inhabitants  had 
been  driven  into  the  towns  and  a  large  part 
of  the  island  became  a  wilderness. 

The  "reconcentrados"  were  dying  of  star- 
vation, and  .our  countrymen,  deeply  moved 
at  their  suffering,  began  to  send  them  food 
and  medical  aid,  and  while  engaged  in  this 
humane  effort,  they  were  horrified  to  hear 
of  the  destruction  of  the  "Maine."  Al- 
though a  court  of  inquiry  was  unable  to  fix 
the  responsibility  for  the  explosion,  many 
people  believed  it  had  been  perpetrated  by 
the  Spaniards,  and  to  so  high  a  tension  had 
the  feeling  of  ho.stility  been  wrought  be- 
tween our  government  and  that  of  Spain, 
the  thread  snapped  and  war  was  upon  us. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


117 


Immediately  upon  the  declaration  of  war, 
a  call  for  volunteers  was  made  and  Chris- 
tian county  immediately  responded  with 
Company  B  of  the  5fh  Regiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers.  So  readily  did  the  boys  of  the 
North  and  South  respond  to  this  call  that 
in  a  short  time  the  whole  Yjuota  was  filled 
and  many  of  the  regiments  were  held  in 
reserve  and  never  went  forward  to  the  seat 
of  war.  The  Fifth  Regiment  was  enlisted 
at  Springfield,  111.,  and  soon  thereafter  re- 
ceived orders  to  go  south  to  Chickamauga 
Park,  Ga.,  and  wait  disposition  by  the  com- 
manding officers. 

This  they  did,  but  were  never  called  upon 
to  engage  in  battle,  but  they  had  experi- 
ence of  campaign  life,  and  many  of  them 
became  sick.  Some  of  them  died,  and  the 
remainder  at  last  were  honorably  discharged 
and  returned  to  their  homes,  and  w^ere  here 
welcom'ed  in  the  most  pleasing  manner  by 
their  former  friends  and  companions  and 
their  names  appear  upon  the  muster  roll 
as  having  offered  themselves  as  a  sacrifice 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  integrity  of  this 
government.  The  health  of  the  regiment 
was  usually  good.  Eugene  Bricker  became 
sick  and  died  while  in  the  service;  Abner 
Orr  became  sick  in  camp  and  died  after  the 
company  was  mustered  out,  never  having 
recovered. 

This  company  was  officered  as  follows: 

Chas.  A.  Parrish,  Capt. ;  Clifton  G.  Mag- 
ner,  ist  Lieut. ;  Joe  C.  Michaels,  2nd  Lieut. ; 
Wm.  J.  Flynn,  ist  Sergeant. 

Sergeants — Frank  O.  Nicodemus,  Clar- 
ence A.  Parish,  Leroy  Anderson,  Alonzo 
H.  Ranes,  Eugene  E.  Rucker. 

Corporals — L.  Jean  Perkins,  Homer 
Chastain,  T.  Lead  Hewitt,  Chas.  T.  Jacobs, 
Howard  M.  Raines,  Charles  C.  Thompson, 
Julius  S.  Michels,  John  T.  Brown,  Eugene 


Denton,    Fred    O.    Edler,    Harry    Reitzer, 
Howard  J.  Roof. 

Musicians — J.    Clark   Waddell,    Wm.    P. 
Minnis. 

Artificer — Forest  C.   Carriker. 

Wagoner — John  Seifert. 

Privates — Barton  G.  Anderson,  Charles 
F.  Bair,  Ismer  Bruce,  John  M.  Bayly, 
Charles  Cole,  Harry  G.  Clay,  G.  Cook  Ca- 
ward,  Joseph  H.  Claywell,  William  L.  De- 
hart,  Joy  T.  Danford,  Charles  H.  Diamond, 
James  W.  Dempsey,  Pharis  B.  Denlinger, 
Benjamin  J.  Daigh,  Perry  F.  Easly,  Claude 
Easly,  James  Ewing,  William  P.  Ellett, 
Thomas  V.  Flock,  John  George  Green,  Clin- 
ton G.  Harris,  Worth  Hendricks,  Alvin  D. 
Hawley,  Jacob  Huebner,  William  C. 
Knight,  Charles  Kellev,  Charles  C.  Kester- 
son,  Peter  Larson,  George  McKee,  George 
W.  Matkin,  Clinton  Maddox,  Orrie  B. 
Nichols,  James  W.  Neff.  George  S.  Neer, 
Irwin  Norred,  George  Oddy,  Benjamin 
Oglesby,  Abner  Orr,  Samuel  Peabody, 
Lewis  C.  Prouty,  Oscar  Porter,  Reuben 
Powel,  Simon  Raines,  Charles  A.  Reeves, 
Manfred  C.  Reed,  Robert  Roper,  Lewis 
Radford,  John  C.  Stoy,  Robert  J.  Slater, 
William  J.  Swick,  Otto  W.  Simpson,  John 
C.  St.  Clair,  Frank  B.  Thompson,  John  P. 
Thompson,  Al  Tolle,  William  E.  Welch, 
Fred  Wilson,  Eniil  L.  Wulfmeyer,  Leigh 
Wones,  Orville  Ward. 

Afterwards  the  following  were  mustered 
in,  June  i8,  1898:  Richard  W.  Alspaugh, 
Herbert  Adams,  Owen  Barbre,  Marcus  L. 
Fulton,  Ira  A.  Honefenger,  George  W. 
Hintou,  Rudolph  Hargis,  Albert  W.  Hud- 
dleston,  Joseph  Huddleston,  Chester  Jones, 
Henry  Keister,  Gordon  Kirkpatrick,  Frank 
Leach,  Robert  H.  Mason,  Edgar  Matthew, 
David  A.  McAdoo,  Clarence  Saunders,  Au- 
brey Speer,  Dwight  Shehan,  Mason  Thomp- 
son, Cloyd  H.  Wallace,  Tony  H.  WVitzel. 


118 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


The  Colonel  of  the  Fifth  Regiment,  J.  S. 
Cnlvcr,  was  a  fornicr  cili/cn  of  tliis  connty, 
and  was  engaged  at  business  for  many 
years.  He  afterward  moved  to  Sprniglield, 
and  was  resi(hng  there  at  the  time  of  the 
mustering  of  the  regiment   into  service. 

A  perusal  of  the  foregoing  pages  and  a 
scanning  of  the  several  muster  rolls,  will 
demonstrate  that  Christian  county  has  al- 
ways been  in  the  front  ranks  in  the  raising 
of  her  quota  of  soldiers  for  defending  the 
rights  of  her  ])eople.  The  people  of  the 
county  are  proud  of  the  war  record  of  her 
soldiers,  and  with  a  deep  sense  of  their  duty 
to  the  hoys  who  have  taken  up  arms  in  de- 
fence of  their  country,  have  erected  at  Tay- 
lorville  and  other  places  beautiful  monu- 
ments in  memory  of  their  valiant  and  heroic 
deeds.  The  writer,  appreciating  how  the 
soldiers  enlisted  from  this  county  in  many 
wars  are  held  in  esteem  by  the  people, 
ascribes  to  them  all  honor  and  records  their 
names  upon-  the  pages  of  this  history  that 
future  o-enerations  mav  know  to  whom 
honor  is  due  as  soldiers  of  Christian  county. 

The  Press. 

It  was  on  the  23r(l  day  of  December, 
f857,  that  the  first  number  of  the  first  i)aper 
ever  printed  in  Christian  county  made  its 
appearance.  And  never  since  that  time  has 
the  county  been  freed  from  the  influence 
of  this  mighty  engine  of  discord  or  of 
peace.  Never  since  then  has  the  voice  of 
Christian  county  been  hushed  even  in  the 
councils  of  the  state  and  nation.  Never 
since  then  has  there  been  a  home  so  sacred 
but  that  its  innermost  doings  may  have  been 
revealed  to  the  gazing  v^'orld  through  this 
faithful,  if  often  mistaken  photograph  of  a 
"local  press."  Of  cour.se  this  local  press 
mav  often  have  been  mistaken  in  its  policies 
of  national  as  well  as  locrd  affairs,  but  it  has 


never  been   silent.      On   that   day   appeared 
before  a  gaping  world 

The  Pana  Weekly  Herald. 

Tlie  business  of  this  pa])er  was  to  sing 
the  i)nuses  of  this  county  regardless  of 
truth,  but  more  particularly  of  Pana,  the 
new-born  child  whose  name  and  fame  was 
to  be  i)roclaimed  to  a  sleeping  world.  Its 
editor  was  Milan  S.  Beckwith  and  he  pur- 
chased the  material  for  the  new^  venture  of 
Dr.  Chenoweth  of  Decatur.  Mr.  Beck- 
with was  at  that  time  largely  interested  in 
real  estate  near  the  location  of  his  paper 
and  its  pages  sang  of  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  and  the  desirability  of  the  climate  in 
no  uncertain  tones.  But  it  failed  to  record 
the  deaths  from  chills  or  fevers  unless  the 
person  so  dying  possessed  more  than  a  lo- 
cal reputation.  It  was  independent  in  poli- 
tics when  it  was  first  started  but  in  1858 
it  became  Democratic.  It  lived  almost  two 
years,  dying  with  the  41st  issue  of  Volume 
two. 

The  Pana  Plaindealer. 

It  was  horn  because  of  the  death  of  the 
Herald.  The  first  number  was  issued  Oc- 
tober 7,  1859,  by  Eli  F.  Chittenden.  He 
continued  its  publication  to  November  i, 
i860,  when  it  was  discontinued  and  the 
office  was  removed  to  Shelbyville. 

The  Independent  Press. 

This  paper  w^as  first  issued  in  Taylorville 
on  fanuary  19th,  1858.  It  was  the  second 
paper  printed  in  the  county  It  was  pub- 
lished by  Benjamin  Winters,  who  was  a 
l)ractical  jjrinter,  and  he  luade  the  Indchciid- 
ciit  Press  intensely  Democratic.  Mr.  Win- 
ters was  an  independent  thinker  and  a  vigor- 
ous writer  and  his  invectives  and  bitter  de- 
nunciation of  his  own  party  when  he  believed 
it    to    be    wrong    lost   him   the   support    of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


119 


many.  When  the  publication  ceased,  which 
it  (hd  on  November  28th,  1868,  the  type 
was  worn  (Xit  and  most  of  the  material  was 
useless.  The  press  had  done  duty  in  the 
office  of  the  Missouri  Republican  as  early 
as  1808  and  in  183 1  this  same  pre^s  was 
used  in  establishing  the  Sangamon  Joiir- 
iid  at  Springfield,  Illinois.  It  was  brought 
from  Springfield  to  Taylorville  where  it 
was  finally  broken  up.  Complete  files  of 
this  paper  are  yet  to  he  found  in  the  county. 

The  Taylorville  Journal. 

It  was  at  about  this  time  that  a  paper 
bearing  the  above  name  appeared  in  Taylor- 
ville. It  was  Democratic  but  as  there  was 
one  other  paper  published  in  the  town  bear- 
ing the  same  political  stamp,  the  Journal 
soon  died  of  want  of  proper  support.  It 
was  born  January,  27,  1859,  and  only  ap- 
peared upon  this  storm  tossed  world  of 
journalism  nine  times.  The  publishers 
were  Messrs.  Corr,  VanKirk  &  Co,  The 
office  was  sold  under  a  mortgage  and  taken 
to  Pana,  where  the 

Central  Illinois  Democrat 

was  issued  from  its  material  and  presses 
on  January  7,  i860.  It  was  issued  by  E.  P. 
Sanders  as  ])roprietor  and  publisher  and  J. 
B.  Butler  as  editor.  On  the  23d  of  Febru- 
ary VV.  F.  Phelon  was  added  to  the  editorial 
staff  and  on  the  9th  of  November,  i860,  the 
office  changed  hands  and  G.  W.  Harper  and 
F.  J.  Back  appeared  as  editors  and  pub- 
lishers. They  at  once  changed  the  name 
to  the 

Pana  Weekly  Enterprise, 

but  only  one  paper  was  issued  under  that 
name  and  on  the  24th  of  the  same  month 
O.  F.  Morrison  and  M.  M.  DeLevis  pur- 
chased the  office  and  again  changed  the 
name  to  the 


Pana  Public. 

Mr.  DeLevis  was  editor.  It  was  inde- 
pendent in  politics.  The  paper  was  well 
gotten  up  and  flourished  till  June  i,  1862, 
when  the  office  and  paper  were  moved  to 
Clinton,  Illinois. 

The  Taylorville  Flag. 

On  July  26,  1864,  appeared  the  first  Re- 
publican paper  in  Christian  county.  It  was 
edited  and  managed  by  I.  D.  Munday  but  he 
remained  but  three  weeks  when  he  resigned 
and  Paul  Conner  was  placed  in  charge,  and 
soon  purchased  the  office.  Mr.  Conner  con- 
tinued as  editor  till  April  12,  1866,  when 
John  J.  Squier  purchased  a  half  interest. 
On  November  15,  1866,  Mr.  Scjuier  pur- 
chased Mr.  Conner's  interest  and  became  ed- 
itor and  publisher.  On  the  24th  of  March, 
1870,  Mr.  Squier  changed  the  name  of  Tlie 
TayUyrvillc  Flag  to  that  of  the 

Illinois  Republican, 

w  Inch  name  it  continued  to  bear  for  many 
years.  On  the  i8th  of  November,  1870, 
Mr.  Scjuier  sold  a  half  interest  in  the  Re- 
publican to  W.  B.  Squier,  his  brother,  which 
partnership  continued  till  March  19,  1874, 
when  John  J.  Squier  again  became  sole 
owner. 

The  Saturday  Republican. 

On  Augu.st  19,  1876,  Mr.  Squier  com- 
menced the  publication  of  the  above  jour- 
nal in  addition  to  the  Illinois  Republican 
and  continued  it  several  years.  Some-  time 
during  the  year  1887  Mr.  Squier  sold  the 
paper  and  all  things  pertaining  to  it  to  Jo- 
seph Torrey  who  continued  its  publication 
for  a  year  or  more  when  the  plant  was 
again  sold  to  The  Courier  Printing  Co.,  and 
became  the  nucleus  around  which  the  pres- 
ent   dailv    and    weeklv    Courier   was    built. 


120 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


This  occurred  some  time  (hiring  the  year 

1893. 

The  Pana  Gazette. 

The  First  niimlier  of  this  paper  was  issued 
lulv  _'7,  1865.  The  editors  and  proprietors 
were  Richard  Couch  and  R.  M.  Carr.  Mr. 
Couch  and  Mr.  Carr  purchased  some  new 
material  and  added  it  to  a  joh  office  owned 
hy  Mr.  Couch  and  from  the  combination 
was  issued  the  Gazette.  On  April  17,  1866, 
Mr.  Carr  purchased  the  entire  interest  in 
the  paper  and  remained  editor  and  publisher 
until  December  11,  1868,  when  he  sold  a 
half  interest  to  R.  W.  Coon.  The  partner- 
ship of  Carr  &  Coon  continued  till  Feb- 
ruary, 1871,  when  Mr.  Coon  retired.  Mr. 
Carr  then  continued  the  publication  of  the 
Gazette  till  some  time  in  1889,  when  J.  C. 
Essick,  a  lawyer  of  ability  who  wished  to 
try  journalism,  purchased  the  outfit  and 
greatly  improved  the  plant.  A  year  or  two 
later  he  sold  to  Kelliger  &  Son,  who  soon 
sold  to  Burch  &  Merry,  but  in  a  few  weeks 
Mr.  Merry  retired  and  Mr.  Burch  continued 
the  paper  for  several  years,  when  he  sold 
to  E.  Gorell. 

After  keeping  the  paper  but  a  short  time 
Gorell  disposed  of  the  Gazette  to  W.  S. 
Childers,  who  retained  control  of  it  but  a 
sort  time  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Weaver.  This  was  some  time 
during  the  year  1895.  Mrs.  Weaver  con- 
ducted the  paper  for  some  time,  but  not 
meeting  with  the  success  anticipated,  she 
sold  the  material  and  plant  to  Mr.  C.  N. 
Walls,  who  removed  it  to  Assumption. 

The  Christian  County  Democrat. 

This  paper  was  established  by  John  J. 
Smith  and  the  first  number  appeared  on 
August  13,  1868.  He  remained  editor  and 
publisher  till  November  20  of  the  same  year 
when  he  sold  to  Jonas  Suttle.     Mr.  Suttle 


conducted  the  paper  till  Sei)tember  17,  1869. 
when  he  sold  the  office  to  S.  P.  Davis  of 
Belleville  and  E.  L.  Powers  of  Decatur. 
The  firm  of  Davis  &  Powers  continued  to 
publish  the  paper  till  February  11,  1871, 
when  W.  S.  Martin  became  the  purchaser. 
On  May  21,  1874.  the  words  "Christian 
County"  were  omitted  and  tlie  word  "Tay- 
lorville'  substituted  in  the  name  of  the  paper. 
On  August  2,  1875,  George  W.  Webber 
became  a  partner  in  the  Democrat  and  con- 
tinued so  till  June  i,  1877,  when  Mr.  Web- 
ber retired  and  Mr.  Martin  continued  the 
publication  till  January  i,  1880,  when  he 
sold  to  Benjamin  A.  and  Philip  A.  Rich- 
ards. In  1884  J.  E.  Harner  purchased  the 
plant  and  in  1886  V.  E.  Foy  became  owner. 
Mr.  Foy  was  owner  and  editor  for  but  a 
short  time  when  C.  N.  Walls,  a  veteran 
newspaper  man,  became  its  owner  by  pur- 
chase. Some  time  during  1898  The  Tay- 
lorviUe  Democrat  was  aljsorbed  by  The 
Courier  Printing  Company  and  it  ceased  to 
have  a  separate  identity. 

The  Central  Orient. 

This  paper  was  first  issued  June  20,  1866, 
in  Pana.  It  was  Democratic  in  tone  and 
had  J.  F.  Harner  as  publisher  and  C.  S-. 
Hilburn  as  editor.  The  Orient  continued 
till  May,  1868,  when  it  was  discontinued 
for  want  of  proper  support.' 

The  Pana  Palladium. 

From  the  exit  of  the  Orient  Pana  was 
without  a  Democratic  paper  till  the  PaT 
ladium  made  its  appearance.  It  was  first 
issued  by  S.  B.  Rich  some  time  during  the 
latter  part  of  1869.  On  April  23,  1870, 
Mr.  Rich  disposed  of  the  office  and  the 
paper  to  Messrs.  P.  A.  and  J.  J.  Farley. 
After  several  years'  connection  with  the 
paper  Mr.  P.  A.  Farley  retired  and  the  pub- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


121 


lication  was  continued  by  J.  J.  Farley.  On 
March  15,  1877,  A.  W.  Chal:)in  became  the 
purchaser  of  the  Palladium.  Three  months 
later  Mr.  Chabin  sold  a  half  interest  to 
Jacob  Swallow.  In  three  months  from  that 
time  Mr.  Swallow  retired,  and  Chabin 
again  became  proprietor  and  so  continued 
until  March  10,  1879,  when  tlie  office  revert- 
ed to  b^arley  Brothers,  who  sold  it  to  Jacob 
Swallow.  And  Mr.  Swallow  has  been  the 
owner  and  publisher  of  the  Palladium  e\^er 
since.  At  this  date  (February,  1904)  Mr 
Swallow  has  seen  the  longest  continuous 
service  on  the  same  paper  of  any  editor  in 
the  county. 

The  Assumj'Tion  Independent. 

This  paper  was  at  first  printed  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  Pana  Gaccttc  and  was  shipped  to 
Assumption.  R.  M.  Carr  was  the  publisher 
and  J.  M.  Birce  the  local  editor.  The  first 
number  was  issued  on  April  22,  1871.  Mr. 
Carr  continued  the  publication  till  April  15, 
1872,  when  he  sold  to  I.  V.  Park  sufficient 
material  to  continue  the  publication  at  As- 
sumption, but  six  months  later  when  the 
notes  became  due  Mr.  Park  was  unable  to 
meet  them  and  the  sureties  paid  the  notes 
and  issued  shares  of  stock  in  a  printing 
company.  They  placed  John  M.  Marnell  in 
charge  as  editor  and  manager.  He  was  a 
bad  manager  and  the  Indcpcndeni  appeared 
semi-occasionally.  In  July,  1874,  the  stock- 
holders secured  the  services  of  Richard 
Couch  and  he  changed  the  name  of  the 
paper  to  the 

Assumption  Record. 

Mr.  Couch  pu1)lished  the  paper  one  year 
and  then  A.  W.  Chabin  assumed  the  man- 
agement. He  continued  nine  months  and 
sold  to  A.  M.  Anderson  and  the  presses  and 
material  were  removed  to  Shelbyville. 


The  Assumption  News. 

Since  that  time  H.  E.  Bixby  conducted 
the  Assumption  Ncivs  for  something  about 
six  years  and  made  a  financial  success  of 
the  venture.  Mr.  Bixby  died  and  his  widow 
and  administrator  continued  its  publication 
till  January  i,  1904,  when  it  was  absorbed 
by  Hodge  Brothers  and  became  a  part  of 
the 

Prairie  State  Tribune. 

This  paper  is  now  being  managed  by 
Hodge  Brothers,  who  came  to  Assumption 
from  Indiana.  They  are  making  a  success 
of  the  Tribune  and  attained  their  first  noto- 
riety by  publishing  several  books  of  the  old 
testament  scriptures  as  a  serial.  They  have 
been  publishing  a  paper  in  Assumption  for 
alx)ut  four  years  under  various  names  and 
the  name  is  never  changed  oftener  than  the 
moon.  But  no  matter  under  what  name 
they  may  appear,  the  paper  is  always  newsy 
and  reliable. 

The  Morrisonville  Times. 

The  Times  was  first  issued  August  20, 
1875,  with  Thomas  Cox  as  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. Mr.  Cox  sold  the  Times  to  M. 
J.  Abbott  the  last  day  of  December.  1875. 
The  latter  gentleman  remained  owner  and 
publisher  until  May,  1877,  when  he  sold 
to  George  H.  Palmer  &  Son.  F.  M.  Pal- 
mer assumed  editorial  control.  In  the 
spring  of  1878  F.  Grundy  became  associate 
editor.  August  16,  1879,  the  office  was 
leased  to  Messrs.  Said  &  Poorman.  On  Oc- 
tober 2,  1879,  Steen  Brothers  purchased 
the  office.  Later  the  Times  passed  into  the 
hands  of  S.  W.  Gulp,  who  has  been  con- 
ducting a  consistent  Democratic  paper  ever 
since.  Mr.  Gulp  has  managed  the  Times 
for  more  than  fifteen  years. 


122 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


The  Independent. 

The  first  number  of  this  paper  appeared 
in  Taylorville  on  Alarch  2=^.  ^^7S-  ^^■ith 
Messrs.  Malloroy  &  Danley,  proprietors, 
and  R.  V.  Maloroy  as  editor.  It  died  for 
want  of  support  with  the  ]3tli  number  so 
far  as  its  old  e(htors  were  concerned,  but 
Air.  .\oyes  B.  Chapman  of  Stonington  con- 
tinued the  publication  with  C.  F.  Tucker  as 
editor  and  afterwards  with  AI.  A.  Bates, 
but  on  January  14.  1876,  it  was  discon- 
tinued. 

The  Farmers'  Journal. 

This  paper  first  appeared  on  March  2, 
1876.  Messrs.  Lewis  &  Brown  were  its 
first  editors  and  publishers.  The  paper  was 
published  as  a  grange  or  greenback  organ. 
On  August  31.  1876.  the  office  came  into 
the  possession  of  J.  F.  Harner,  who  changed 
its  political  tone  to  Democratic  after  pub- 
lishing the  paper  for  a  year.  After  this  sev- 
eral changes  occurred  in  the  manasfement 
of  the  Journal,  its  name  being  changed  to 
that  of  the 

Taylorville  Journal 

in  1880  and  its  politics  to  Republican,  with 
a  strong  greenback  tendency.  At  one  time 
Messrs.  Sanford  &  Kelley  were  its  editors 
and  later  for  a  short  time  Mr.  W.  H.  Kel- 
ley, but  in  1886  the  paper  came  into  the 
liands  of  A.  D.  Webb  as  editor  and  pub- 
lisher and  it  is  still  (February,  1904)  be- 
ing published  l)y  the  same  party.  It  is  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  fearless  and  'nit- 
-spoken  in  its  dealing  with  all  public  ques- 
tions.' 

The  Christl\x  County  Coitrier. 

•  This  paper  was  founded  by  the  Courier 
Printing  Co.  by  those  opposed  to  the  man- 
agement of  the  Tavlorville  Democrat  in  the 


year  1894.  .\s  a  starter  the  job  office  be- 
longing to  A.  O.  Murphey  and  the  material 
of  the  Illinois  Rcpuhlicau  formed  the  out- 
fit. .\  new  i)ress  and  some  type  were  pur- 
chased and  the  Taylorville  Courier  was 
launched  with  D.  O.  W'itmcr  as  editor  and 
A.  ().  Murphey  as  business  manager.  As 
recorded  in  another  place,  in  a  few  years  it 
absorlied  The  Dcuwcrat  and  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  printing  a  daily  as  well  as  a  week- 
ly edition  for  the  past  seven  years  It  is 
the  best  newspaper  office  in  the  county  arid 
is  well  equipped  to  do  all  kinds  of  work. 
It  is  Democratic  in  politics. 

The  Taylorville  News. 

This  paper  was  founded  about  the  year 
1896  by  several  gentlemen  from  Pawnee 
and  vicinity.  They  published  a  daily  ex- 
clusively Ijut  the  venture  was  not  a  success 
financially  and  the  plant  was  sold  after 
publishing  the  first  daily  paper  in  Taylor- 
\ille  for  less  than  a  year.  It  was  purchased 
by  Messrs.  Reed  &  Kelley,  who  changed  its 
name  to  that  of 

The  Breeze. 

This  paper  has  appeared  regularly  since 
its  first  publication  in  1895.  Frank  Reed 
is  the  editor  and  manager  and  it  is  run  by 
a  stock  company.  They  publish  both  week- 
ly and  daily  editions.  It  is  Republican  in 
politics  and  quite  "breezy." 

The  Weekly  Argus. 

This  paper  was  first  published  by  A.  W. 
Chabin  on  March  15,  1879.  Five  numbers 
were  printed  in  Shelbyville  and  taken  to 
Pana  and  distributed,  after  which  Col.  J. 
A.  Hayward  purchased  material  and  presses 
and  became  joint  owner  with  Mr.  Chabin. 
The  paper  was  Democratic  in  politcs.  The 
partnership    continued    till    June    i.     1880, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


123 


when  Colonel  Hayward  became  sole  pro- 
prietor and  editor.  He  continued  to  pub- 
lish it  for  several  years,  when  the  plant  and 
paper  were  remo\ed  to  another  city. 

The  Pana  Beacon  Light. 

Soon  after  Mrs.  Weaver  acquired  the  Ga- 
!:cttc  Mr.  Childress,  through  the  assistance 
of  Mr.  Hayward,  bought  a  new  outfit  and 
commenced  the  publication  of  a  pape^,  both 
daily  and  weekly,  with  the  above  title.  Mr. 
Childress  was  an  energetic  and  fearless 
writer.  He  disposed  of  the  plant  to  E.  O 
Gilmer,  an  old  newspaper  man,  who  con- 
tinued to  publish  the  paper  for  several  years 
with  varying  success.  He  finally  sold  to 
Arthur  E.  Paine  &  Co.,  who  changed  the 
name  of  the  paper  to 

The  Pana  News, 

and  the  paper  has  been  issued  for  the  past 
five  years  with  the  above  management. 
The  paper  is  Republican  in  politics  and  ap- 
pears ably  managed. 

The  Edinburg  Herald. 

This  paper  was  established  in  Ed- 
inburg on  May  I,  1883,  by  F.  T.  Kauerauf, 
who  was  both  editor  and  owner.  Mr.  Kau- 
erauf is  a  practical  printer  and  the  paper 
has  been  a  financial  success  from  its  very 
first  issue.  It  is  a  deserving  sheet  and  the 
people  of  Edinburg  seem  to  appreciate  it. 
Mr.  Kauerauf  has  made  some  money  with 
the  Herald. 

The  Owaneco  Progress. 

In  the  spring  of  1902  this  paper. was  es- 
tal)lished  by  Clinton  G.  Griggsby,  a  practi- 
cal printer  from  Taylorville.  It  was  first 
published  in  Taylorville,  but  later  Mr. 
Griggsby  secured  material  and  continued 
the  publication  in  Owaneco.  It  is  a  very 
creditable  sheet  and  reflects  the  progress  of 


the    town    in    which    it    is    located.       Mr. 
Griggsby  appears  to  be  making  some  money. 

The  Mount  Auburn   Tribune. 

This  paper  was  established  by  P.  T.  Dan- 
ford  in  the  fall  of  1901.  Soon  after  C.  O. 
Gates  purchased  the  plant  and  still  continues 
its  publication.  It  is  a  six-column  quarto, 
well  filled  with  advertising  and  appears  to  be 
well  managed. 

The  People's  Choice. 

This  paper  was  published  at  Palmer  for 
a  year  or  two  by  H.  E.  Davis  &  Co.  Mr. 
Davis  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  contract  tu- 
berculosis and  was  forced  to  leave  his  plant 
and  business  some  time  during  the  year 
1903.  The  paper  was  discontinued  and  Mr. 
Davis  has  since  died. 

The  Stonington  Star. 

This  paper  was  established  about  May 
I,  1896,  by  P.  T.  Danford  &  Son.  After- 
ward the  father  withdrew  and  the  son,  H. 
A.  Danford,  continued  its  publication.  It 
is  neutral  in  politcs,  has  a  good  advertising 
patronage  as  well  as  a  good  subscription  list 
and  has  been  of  great  service  to  the  rapidly 
growing  town  in  which  it  is  located. 

The  School  News  and  Practical  Edu- 
cator. 
This  is  an  educational  journal  for  teach- 
ers, parents  and  school  officers.  It  was  es- 
tablished in  the  year  1887  by  C.  M.  Parker, 
who  is  editor  and  proprietor.  Erom  a  small 
beginning  it  has  grown  so  that  it  now  is  one 
of  the  few  leading  educational  publications 
in  the  United  States.  It  is  issued  monthly, 
except  during  August.  It  has  been  a  great 
success  as  a  money  maker.  In  addition  Mr. 
Parker  publishes  many  other  books  and 
magazines,  among  which  are  The  State 
Course   of   Study,    Select   Rote   Songs   and 


124 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Elementary  Music  Teacher,  Gala  Day  St^r 
ies,  Persimmons,  Long-an's  Primary  Arith- 
metic, and  others. 

A  review  of  the  journals  printed  in  Chris- 
tian county  since  1857  shows  that  the  great 
political  parties,  Democrat,  Whig,  Repub- 
lican, as  well  as  the  IndciJendcnt  and  Green- 
back elements,  liaxe  been  ably  represented 
by  the  newspapers. 

The  local  newspapers  are  frequently  se- 
verely criticised  for  the  articles  at  times 
published  by  them,  and  in  many  instnnces 
these  criticisms  are  well  taken.  Editors  are 
not  at  all  times  sufficiently  careful  to  ascer- 
tain the  accuracy  of  the  statements  pub- 
lished before  displaying  them  to  the  world, 
;ind  too  frequently  does  it  happen  that  tlie 
reputation  of  an  innocent  person  is  injured 
by  reason  of  the  carelessness  of  the  editor. 
In  some  cases  he  even  so  far  forgets  iiim- 
self  as  to  permit  malice  and  revenge  to  enter 
into  his  publication.  An  able  editor  of  a 
newspaper  is  always,  or  should  be,  high- 
minded  and  broad  enough  to  avoid  unneces- 
sarily injuring  the  feelings  or  reputation  of 
any  citizen. 

Newspapers  of  Christian  county  have  for 
the  most  part  been  devoid  of  this  narrow- 
contracted  abuse  of  the  peaceable  and  in- 
offensive citizen. 

Newspapers  when  conducted  upon  the 
proper  basis  are  a  great  benefit  to  the  com- 
munity; they  are  educators,  putting  their 
readers  abreast  of  the  times,  and  even  the 
local  papers  place  in  the  hands  of  their  na- 
trons the  means  of  ascertaining  what  is  go- 
ing on  in  all  ])arts  of  the  world ;  an  able 
press  like  that  of  Christian  county  should 
be  encouraged  and  patronized  by  its  inhabi- 
tants. 

Schools. 

Three  quarters  of  a  century  have  passe'l 
since  the  first  public  school  was  conducted 


within  the  borders  of  Christian  county.  It 
was  held  in  a  log-house  which  stood  two 
miles  northeast  of  the  present  site  of  Tay- 
lorvillc  and  which  was  built  after  the  fash- 
ion of  the  homes  of  the  pioneer  settlers — a 
rude  building  with  the  fireplace  occupying 
the  most  of  one  end  of  the  house,  a  log  sawed 
out  of  one  side  to  furnish  light  and  ventila- 
ticMi,  its  only  furniture  consisting  of  rough 
puncheon  benches  and  a  slat  fastened  to  one 
wall  for  a  writing  desk. 

During  the  winter  of  1826-27,  Elijah 
Hanon  taught  here  the  first  school  of  which 
we  have  any  record.  The  district  boundary 
seems  to  have  been  indefinite  since  it  is 
known  that  Daniel  and  Martin  Miller  who 
lived  near  Elgan's  mill  in  Southfork  town- 
ship, fourteen  miles  away  were  two  of  his 
pupils  that  winter.  They  walked  to  school 
on  Monday  morning,  boarded  with  a  family 
near  the  school  and  walked  home  again  on 
Friday  evenings. 

In  1831-32  Archibald  McCollough,  who 
is  said  to  have  been  a  fine  scholar,  taught 
at  the  same  place,  and  again  in  1832-33  a 
Mr.  Crossthwaite,  who  was  a  professional 
teacher,  conducted  a  school  there. 

The  next  school  on  record  was  held  at 
Campbell's  Point,  in  1831-32  in  a  log  house 
built  on  land  owned  by  Joseph  Matthews, 
and  it  is  said  to  be  the  first  house  erected 
in  the  county,  especially  for  a  school  house. 
The  first  teacher  was  Robert  White.  In 
the  same  year,  Michael  Archie  taught  a 
school  in  a  house  on  his  brother's  farm  in 
Mt.  Auburn  township  near  the  Springfield 
and  Decatur  road. 

In  1834-35  Hon.  H.  M.  Vandeveer 
taught  the  first  school  in  Mosquito  town- 
ship in  a  house  also  situated  on  the  Spring- 
field and  Decatur  road.  He  also  taught  in 
Southfork  township. 

Thus  we  see  how  the  pioneers  struggled 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


125 


bravely  to  educate  their  children  with  the 
limited  means  afforded  them.  Whenever 
two  or  three  families  formed  a  settlement, 
a  school  was  opened  as  soon  as  a  teacher 
coukl  be  secured.  Many  of  the  first  schools 
were  subscription  schools. 

The  work  of  the  pioneer  teacher  con- 
sisted largely  in  teaching  reading,  writing 
and  arithmetic ;  schools  were  of  short  dura- 
tion ;  books  were  crude  and  scarce  and  the 
older  children  could  attend  only  two  or 
three  months  of  the  term.  The  salaries  of 
teachers  in  those  days  of  pioneer  life  ranged 
from  eight  to  ten  dollars  per  month,  or  a 
dollar  and  a  half  per  pupil. 

From  these  small  beginnings  has  been 
evolved  the  present  day  system  of  elemen- 
tary schools,  and  from  such  educational 
conditions,  disadvantageous  as  they  were, 
have  come  many  of  the  most  substantial 
professional  and  business  men. 

With  the  organization  of  the  county  in 
1839  came  the  appointment  of  the  first 
school  commissioner,  Hon.  H.  M.  Vande- 
veer,  who  had  been  a  pioneer  teacher  in 
Mosquito  and  Southfork  townships. 

The  "Enabling  Act"  of  18 18  appropri- 
ating section  16  in  each  township  to  the 
state  for  school  purposes  gave  an  impetus 
to  education.  In  1828  the  Legislature  au- 
thorized the  sale  of  these  lands,  and  bor- 
rowed the  money.  But  the  returns  were  too 
meager  to  support  the  schools  and  taxes  had 
to  be  levied.  In  1835,  a  county  fund  was 
created  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  which 
also  provided  that  the  teachers  should  not 
receive  from  the  public  fund  more  than  half 
the  amount  due  them,  and  that  the  surplus 
should  constitute  the  principal  of  the  county 
fund,  which  amounted  to  $348,285.75  and 
in  the  same  year  the  interest  on  school 
moneys  borrowed  by  the  state  was  first  dis- 
tributed to  the  counties. 


In  1824,  the  balance  of  the  overflowed 
and  swamplands,  after  paying  for  drainage 
and  levees,  was  granted  to  the  counties  for 
educational  purposes.  Thus  gradually  the 
state  came  to  realize  the  need  of  fostering 
free  public  schools  and  gradually  too  im- 
proved methods  for  controlling  them  were 
adopted. 

In  Christian  county  the  first  township  or- 
ganized for  school  purposes  was  Southfork. 
In  1839  the  December  term  of  the  county 
court  appointed  as  trustees  Robert  Richard- 
son, Sr.,  Benjamin  Robertson  and  William 
Harvey,  Esq.  Council  was  appointed  treas- 
urer and  continued  in  that  oftice  for  many 
years. 

In  1866  the  township  organization  was 
effected  and  trustees  of  schools  were  ap- 
pointed for  the  seventeen  townships  of  the 
county.  Each  township  was  then  divided 
into  districts  to  accommodate  the  rapidly 
growing  population  and  the  log  school  house 
gradually  gave  place  to  the  more  comfort- 
able frame  houses. 

With  the  incorporation  of  the  townships 
came  the  requirement  for  a  certificate  of 
qualification  from  the  township  trustees  be- 
fore a  teacher  could  be  paid  out  of  the  school 
funds.  Besides  a  knowledge  of  reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic,  the  teacher  was  re- 
quired to  have  also  an  elementary  knowl- 
edge of  history  and  geography. 

The  spirit  of  progress  was  aroused  and 
frequent  legislation  on  school  matters  was 
demanded  by  an  enlightened  and  earnest 
public.  In  1854  the  separate  office  of  State 
Superintendent  was  created  and  Hon. 
Ninian  Edwards  was  appointed  at  a  yearly 
salary  of  $1,500. 

To  supply  the  demands  for  more  efficient 
teachers,  the  first  State  Normal  School  was 
established  in  1857,  and  the  Southern  Nor- 
mal in  1869;  and  since  then  the  legislature 


126 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


has  established  three  other  State  Normal 
schools.  The  Eastern  Xornial  at  Charles- 
ton, Coles  connty.  the  Xdrthern  at  DeKalb, 
DeKalb  county,  and  the  Wc^^tern  at  Ma- 
comb, McDonoiioh  countv. 

In  a  former  sketch  of  the  schools  of  Chris- 
tian connty.  i;ivcn  in  iS8o  by  ex-County 
Superintendent  R.  W.  Orr,  and  from  which 
much  of  the  data  of  the  article  was  gath- 
ered, stress  is  laid  upon  the  efforts  made  to 
encourage  better  and  more  thorough  prep- 
aration for  teaching  by  those  who  were  en- 
Qfae'ed  in  the  work  as  well  as  bv  those  who 
expected  to  teach  by  insisting  upon  their 
attendance  at  county  normals  and  institutes. 
But  of  all  the  excellent  work  done  by  Mr. 
Orr  during  his  long  term  of  office  which 
extended  from  1873  to  1898,  with  a  break 
of  only  four  years,  the  most  important  and 
most  influencing  act  was  the  introduction 
into  the  elementary  schools  of  the  State 
Course  of  Study  in  1889. 

The  Manual  and  Guide  for  the  common 
schools  had  its  beginning  in  Macon  county 
about  1879  or  1880  with  john  Trainer  who 
was  then  County  Superintendent.  His 
work  soon  spread  to  Piatt,  Champaign,  and 
other  counties.  As  the  idea  developed  it  ap- 
pealed to  the  good  judgment  of  educators 
all  over  the  state  and  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Central  Illinois  Teachers'  Association  in 
March,  1889,  the  plan  was  discussed  and 
Hon.  Richard  Edwards,  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  issued  a  call  to  county 
superintendents  to  meet  in  Spring-field  April 
10,  1899,  to  discuss  the  advantages  of  a 
uniform  State  Course  of  Study. 

As  a  result  of  that  meeting  a  committee 
of  county  superintendents  was  ap])ointed  to 
compile  a  course  of  study  for  the  state,  con- 
sisting of  eight  years'  work  of  eight  months 
each.  This  course  was  completed  and  ]uib- 
lished  in  time  for  the  opening  of  schools  in 


September  of  that  year.  Mr.  Orr  immedi- 
ately introduced  the  course  in  this  county 
and  most  of  the  teachers  strove  zealously  to 
adaj)t  it  to  the  needs  of  the  schools  under 
tlicir  control  and  to  secure  the  aim  which 
the  friends  of  th.e  course  claim  for  it  and 
which  are  as  follows : 

First :  To  furnish,  as  a  basis  for  work, 
to  sui)erintendents,  teachers  and  directors  an 
outline  of  the  various  branches  required  by 
law  to  be  taught  in  the  schools  of  the  state, 
arranged  in  the  several  grades,  in  accord- 
ance with  established  and  approved  meth- 
ods. 

Second  :  To  advance  pupils,  step  by  step, 
through  his  school  life,  giving  him  credit 
for  work  done,  and  thereby  lessening  the 
e\-il  effects  of  a  too  frequent  change  of 
teachers. 

Third :  To  unify  the  work  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  county  by  furnishing  the 
basis  for  a  close  and  more  effective  direc- 
tion and  supervision,  and  for  comparing  by 
means  of  examinations  or  written  reviews 
the  results  in  the  different  schools. 

Fourth :  To  enable  directors  and  parents 
to  know  better  what  the  common  schools 
are  accomplishing  for  their  children  and  to 
co-operate  with  teachers  in  the  work. 

By  "  means  of  monthly  examinations, 
Avhich  serve  not  only  as  tests  but  suggest 
good  methods  of  teaching,  the  county  su- 
perintendent who  can  visit  the  schools  not 
oftener  than  once  or  twice  a  year  has  an 
opportunity  for  keeping  in  touch  with  the 
schools. 

For  many  years  central  examinations 
were  held  in  the  center  schoolhouse  in  each 
townshi]).  Here  the  advanced  pupils  of  all 
the  schools  in  the  grouji  met  and  compared 
work.  In  recent  years  the  central  exam- 
ination has  been  abandoned  because  of  the 
almost  unpassable  road  encountered  in  the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


127 


months  of  March  and  April.  Instead  the 
examination  qnestions  are  sent  to  each 
teacher,  who  liolds  her  own  examination  and 
after  grading  the  papers  recommends  those 
who  have  made  the  reqnired  grades  to  the 
hnal  examination  held  later  in  Tavlorville. 
Since  the  adoption  of  the  course  of  study 
in  1889,  nearly  1,000  children  have  gradu- 
ated from  the  elementary  schools  and  have 
a  diploma  of  same.  Since  the  days  of  the 
three  R's,  there  has  heen  an  increase  in  the 
numher  of  studies  taught  in  school.  The 
suhject  of  language  and  grammar  has  he- 
come  so  generally  recognized  as  important 
that  no  one  now  questions  whether  or  not 
it  should  he  a  part  of  the  course  of  study. 
History  and  geography  ajipeahso  strong- 
ly to  the  child  mind  that  every  school  boy 
now  knows  at  twelve  years  of  age  the  lead- 
ing facts  in  American  history,  and  the  re- 
lation which  the  United  States  bears  to  the 
rest  of  the  world. 

The  growing"  evils  arising  from  the  use 
of  alcoholic  drings  and  tobacco  have  led 
the  State  Legislature  to  pass  a  law  requir- 
ing that  physiology  and  hygiene  shall  be 
taught  in  the  schools  of  the  state.  Later 
nature  study,  music,  morals  and  manners, 
agriculture  and  domestic  science  are  finding 
a  place  in  many  schools.  In  fact  the  times 
demand  that  a  person  now  to  be  rated  as 
intelligent  as  his  fellows  must  know  some- 
thing of  many  more  subjects  and  facts  than 
his  father  was  required  to  know.  Hence 
the  course  of  study  by  suggesting  broader 
and  deeper  lines  of  study  has  tended  to  im- 
prove the  work  done  in  the  elementary 
school  and  bring  it  to  the  level  of  the  work 
done  in  cities,  where  better  teaching  is  usu- 
ally required. 

There  has  been  a  wonderful  advance  too 
in  school  equipment.  The  log  school  house 
gradually  gave  way  to  the  frame  house — 


long  and  narrow — usually  26x30  feet,  with 
three  windows  on  a  side,  the  stove  in 
the  middle  of  the  room  and  no  provision 
for  ventilation  except  Ijy  the  windows. 
These  are  an  improvement  o\ei'  the  log 
house,  for  they  are  warmer,  l)ctter  lighted 
and  better  furnished. 

Many  of  these  frame  houses  were  built 
between  i860  and  1870  and  are  now  become 
old  and  dilapidated,  and  are  fast  being 
abandoned  for  more  pretentious  houses 
which  are  not  only  more  pleasing  to  the 
eye  but  are  more  sanitary.  The  puncheon 
blenches  have  given  place  to  patent  seats 
and  desks  which  provide  for  the  physical 
rest  and  bodily  comfort  of  the  children. 

At  Willey  Station  in  1898  a  new  modern 
building  30x36  feet  with  a  hall  12x24  <'^nd 
two  porches,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,200.      The    interior    arrangements    pro- 
\k\e  for  the  comfort  and  health  of  the  chil- 
dren.     The  principal   windows  are   massed 
upon  one  side  of  the  room  so  as  to  bring 
most   of   the   light    over   the    left    shoulder 
of  the  pupils;   a   jacketed   stove  sets   in   a 
corner  of  the  room  over  a  box  which  ad- 
mits fresh  air  from  the  outside.     This  fresh 
air  is  heated  as  it  rises  betw^een  the  stove 
and  the  jacket  and  is  diffused  evenly  over 
the  room.     Ventilators  set  in  the  floor  per- 
mit the  passage  of  the  impure  air  from  the 
room  under  the  floor  to  an  opening  in  the 
ventilating  flue  which -is  a  part  of  the  chim- 
ney.    There  are  fly  screens  at  windows  and 
doors,   sliding  doors   divide  the  cloak   hall 
from  the  main  room,  the  woodwork  is  fin- 
ished in  oil,  the  walls  are  tinted;  tliere  are 
single  desks,   slate  blackboards  and  organ, 
a  well  filled  bookcase  of  reference  and  juve- 
nile books,  and  se\'eral  appropriate  pictures 
on  the  wall.      Since  this  house  was   built, 
nine   other   districts    have   abandoned   their 
old   houses   and   have    eercted   new   houses 


128 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


somewhat  after  the  plan  of  the  Willey  Sta- 
tion  House. 

Eagle  and  Hedge  Row  districts  in  Mos- 
quito township;  Davis,  Blake,  and  Mont- 
gomery districts  in  Mt.  Auburn  township ; 
George  and  Central  Point  in  Buckhart 
township ;  Adams  in  South  Pork,  and 
Friendship  in  Taylorville  township.  In 
these  buildings,  the  three  essentials  to  health 
— liirht.  heat  and  ventilation — have  been 
carefully  considered  and  the  latest  and  best 
thought  on  these  subjects  has  been  consid- 
ered. The  buildings  stand  as  a  monument 
to  the  enterprise  and  advanced  ideas  of  their 
respective   communities. 

Many  other  communities  have  greatly 
improved  their  schoolhouse  by  adding  cloak 
rooms  and  porches,  by  changing  the  stove 
from  the  middle  of  the  room,  by  putting  in 
a  ventilating  system,  by  papering  and  paint- 
ing and  otherwise  cleaning  the  room,  by 
adding  blackboards  and  libraries  and  pic- 
tures. 

Teachers,  directors  and  patrons  have  all 
taken  pride  in  most  districts  to  make  the 
schoolhouse  as  clean,  as  healthy  and  as  at- 
tractive as  the  best  homes  in  the  community. 

The  rapidly  decreasing  enrollment  in 
many  rural  schools  is  turning  the  minds  of 
the  people  to  the  subject  of  consolidation 
of  districts,  which  will  certainly  decrease 
the  expenses  of  schools  in  many  townships, 
but  which  can  hardly  be  realized  in  this 
county  until  the  roads  are  greatly  improved. 

There  is  no  one  other  item  on  the  tax 
list  which  shows  so  much  expenditure  of 
public  money  as  for  the  support  of  the  pub- 
lic school  and  from  no  other  expenditure 
of  money  is  so  much  expected.  The  state 
has  undertaken  the  task  of  educating  all  of 
the  children.  When  shall  we  consider  that 
task  completed?  Shall  it  be  when  the  child 
has  learned  to  read,  write  and  cipher?     Is 


it  fair  that  scjme  communities  furnish  am- 
ple opportunities  for  high  school  privileges 
and  others  will  furnish  means  for  no  more 
than  a  five  months'  term  with  an  illy  paid 
and  poorly  prepared  teacher. 

The  educational  demands  of  to-day  have 
kept  pace  with  the  industrial  and  commer- 
cial demands;  the  boy  and  girl  of  to-day 
is  no  better  prepared  to  meet  the  demands 
of  modern  life  educationally  after  comple- 
tion of  a  thorough  course  in  a  high  school 
than  were  the  boy  and  girl  of  fifty  years 
ago  prepared  for  the  demands  of  life  in  that 
day  who  had  merely  learned  to  read,  write 
and  cipher. 

"We  do  not  seek  education  in  order  to 
earn  money  or  accumulate  property,  but 
for  the  same  reason  as  we  seek  money  and 
property,  namely,  so  as  to  possess  and  main- 
tain a  more  complete  and  happy  life,  to  es- 
cape the  pauperism  of  an  impoverished 
mind,  a  destitute  personality  :  to  become  the 
possessors  of  life's  highest  wealth." 

It  is  the  purpose  of  the  public  school 
system,  which  includes  the  rural  schools, 
the  graded  schools  and  the  high  schools  of 
the  county,  to  furnish  not  only  the  facilities 
for  study  and  recitation,  but,  through  ear- 
nest, qualified  teachers,  to  instill  those  ideas 
of  culture  and  good  citizenship  which  shall 
repay  an  hundred  fold  for  every  dollar  ex- 
pended. 

Daniel  Miller,  the  fourth  commissioner 
of  schools  for  Christian  county,  reporting 
to  Campbell  Thomas,  Secretary  of  State 
and  ex-oflicio  State  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  in  1846,  gives  the  following  sta- 
tistics : 

Whole  number  of  schools  in  county  6 

Whole  number  of  scholars  attending  173 
Whole  number  of  children  under  21..  1,236 
Whole  amount  of  school  funds $69.03 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS.  129 

Ave.  paid  male  teachers  per  mo.  ..  .$14.00  R.  W.  Orr,  elected  1895. 

Ave.  paid  female  teachers  per  mo.  .  .$10.00  D.  O.  Witmer,  elected  November,   1898. 

The  annual  report  of  Hon.  Alfred  Bay-  Edith  Witmer,  appointed  August,  1899. 

hss,    Superhitendent  of   Public   Instruction,  ^^""^^  L.  Barbre,  November,  1900. 

for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1903  :  ^nna  L.  Barbre,  November,  1902. 
Number  of  school  districts....                142  Churches. 

Number  of  school  houses 153  ,  ,    .  ^  ,  ... 

^^       ,  ,  .,  1,    ,  ^     ,„  As    noted    m    a   former   chapter    of   this 

Number  of  i)upils  enrolled ....  7-947  ,  r    ,  ,  ,  r 

„,,    ,  ,  ,        ,  1  work,  many  of  the  early  settlers  were  ot  a 

Whole  number  of  males  under  .    .  ■'         ,.,,,,.        ,  •     ,, 

reliGiious  turn  of  mmd,  and  l^elieved  m  the 

„„    , ''''■*'''""' '  due  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  the  estab- 

Whole  number  of   females   un-  .     ,        ,  ,01  11 

ft^c  hshment  of  churches  and   Sunday  schools. 

''*'", 11  '  "^  Church  organizations  and  Sabbath   schools 

Number  of  teachers  employed.  230  *  1      ,        •     ^1         ^ 

,  ,     r  were  formed  at  a  very  early  day,  m  the  set- 

Amount     of    money    used     tor  ,  ,      .1      t^     .•  ^ 

a-     ^     ^A  ^^  tlements  of  the  county,  notably,  the  Baptist 

school    inirposes    $13^,356.66  ,        ,  ^       .  '  /  ,.       , 

^    .  1       1         r      1      1  church   at    Stonington,   the   Congregational 

Estimated  value  of  school  prop-  ,        ,  ^  °    ,  ,       . 

d,  church  at  Rosemond,  and  other  congrega- 

erty      $299,305.00  •      , 

.  ,        ,    ,      1  tions  which  were  established  almost  simul- 
Average  wages  paid  male  teach-  ,         .  ,      ,  ^      r   i.i 

jK        o  taneously    with   the   commencement    of   the 

,  ^^^    .■■■■■■■■,"  settlement     of    these     particular     localities. 

Average     wages     paid     female  •        1   1  r  ..i 

,  ^      r^  These   two    are    mentioned   because   of   the 

teachers    .  .  .  •. $40  66  •  -    1   • 

fact  that  enough  people  were  associated  in 

School  Commissioners  of  the  County  the  colonies  that  emigrated  to  these  places 

Since  Its  Organization.  to  immediately  begin  the  church  work. 

H.  M.  Vandeveer,  appointed  May  16,.  1839.  the  facts  are  that  the  Methodist  church, 

John  W.  Wheat,  elected  Aug.  2,  1841.  the    Baptist   church,    the    Christian   church, 

Thos.  S.  Leachman,  elected  Aug.  7,  1843.  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  the  Cum- 

Daniel  Miller,  elected  Aug.  4,  1845.  berland     Presbyterian    church,     established 

James  C.  Morrison,  elected  Aug.  2,  1847.  congregations  in  many  settlements  at  a  very 

James  C.  Morrison,  elected  Nov.  6,  1849.  early  day,  and  as  soon  as  the  congregations 

James  C.  Morrison,  elected  Nov.  4,  185 1.  were  of  sufficient  strength,  either  alone  or 

Richard  Sparks,  elected  Nov.  8,   1853.  united    with    other    congregations,    church 

Jesse  Hanon,  elected  Nov.  7,   1855.  houses    were   builded    for   the   accommoda- 

S.  S.  Cisna,  elected  Nov.  3,  1857.  tion  of  the  church-goer. 

S.  S.  Cisna,  elected  Nov.  5,  1861.  In  the  early  settlement  of  the  county,  at 

James  A.  Ryan,  elected  Nov.  3,  1863.  '    proper    seasons    when    the    weather    would 

A.   McCaskill,  elected  Nov.   7,    1865.  permit,  camp  meetings  were  held  in  the  dif- 

W.  F.  Gorrell,  elected  Nov.  2,  1869.  ferent   localities,   and  these  camp   meetings 

R.  W.  Orr,  elected  Nov.  4,  1873.  were  a  great  source  of  pleasure  to  the  re- 

R.  W.  Orr,  elected  Nov.  6.  1877.  ligious   element   of   the   county.      At   these 

Francis  .W.  Boyd,  elected  November,  1881.  camp  meetings,  the  families  would  procure 

R.  W.  Orr,  elected  1885.  a  tent  and  go  and  stay  for  a  week  or  ten 

R.  W.  Orr,  elected  1889.  -days,   services  would  be  held   in  the  open 


130 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


air  sheltered  fmm  snn  and  storm  by  a  brush 
covering",  or  under  a  large  canvas;  at  these 
meetings,  preachers  of  notoriety  visited  the 
people,  and  preached  to  them.  Prominent 
among  the  ministers  of  the  early  day  that 
delighted  the  people  with  their  learning  and 
the  expounding-  of  the  divine  word  were 
the  Rev.  Peter  Cartwright  and  Elder  North- 
cut.  Soon  congregations  were  organized 
and  churches  built  at  Pana.  Assumption. 
Mt.  Auburn.  Taylorville,  Edinburg  and 
Rosemond  and  other  localities  in  the  county. 
As  time  progressed  and  tlie  people  pros- 
pered schoolhouses  and  ])laces  of  worship 
were  matters  to  which  the  attention  of  the 
people  would  turn.  The  religious  senti- 
ments of  the  different  churches  one  toward 
the  other  were  liberal,  and  in  instances  the 
same  church  house  was  used  by  different 
cong-regations  as  places  of  public  worship. 
In  some  localities  the  schoolhouse  was  upon 
the  Sabbath  day  converted  into  a  meeting'- 
house  where  Sunday  school  and  church 
would  both  be  held.  People  came  there  a 
great  distance  to  attend  these  services.  Min- 
isters of  the  gospel  were  zealous  in  the 
cause  they  had  espoused,  and  the  general 
rule  was  that  the  ministers  preached  to  the 
peoj^jle  l)ecause  they  loved  them,  and  be- 
cause they  loved  to  expound  to  them  the 
laws  of  God,  even  though  they  were  unable 
to  compensate  them  for  their  services. 

It  is  true  that  in  the  earlier  days,  when 
starvation  was  staring  the  pco])le  in  the  face, 
they  had  i)ractically  all  they  could  do  "to 
keep  the  wolf  from  their  own  door;"  they 
were  not  able  to  contribute  to  the  salaries 
of  ministers  as  they  are  now-a-days,  and 
if  a  minister  received  a  small  compensation, 
or  a  few  donations  through  the  year,  he 
was  satisfied,  and  was  content  to  till  the 
soil  and  secure  his  li\ing  for  the  most  part 
by   "the   sweat  of   his   face."      (The   writer 


would  not  be  understood  as  condemning 
the  payment  of  salaries  to  ministers;  that 
is  right  arid  proper  and  should  be  enc(jur- 
aged  as.  at  this  day  and  age,  the  whole  of 
the  time  of  the  minister  is  required  in 
his  lal)or.  and  the  only  means  he  has  of 
subsisting  is  through  the  salary  he  may 
receix'e. )  In  those  days  when  the  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  little  log  schoolhouse 
or  log  church  and  the  people  gathered 
in.  they  had  familiar  songs  of  praise  that 
they  loved  to  sing ;  many  sweet  and  me- 
lodious voices  joined  together  in  this  de- 
votional exercise ;  they  sang  with  a  spirit 
that  made  the  welkin  ring ;  the  service  and 
and  the  song  were  enjoyed  by  the  happy 
throng;  they  listened  with  interest  to  the 
minister,  who  t(jld  them  in  plain,  unvar- 
nished language  of  the  golden  streets  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  happy 
throng  that  W(iuld  by  and  by  gather  around 
the  great  white  throne. 

These  people  were  in  earnest,  zealous, 
were  not  there  for  show.  Init  to  enjoy  the 
hour  in  the  worship  of  Almighty  God. 

Nothing  can  be  more  conducive  to  a  real, 
Ii\e  religion  than  to  have  a  whole  congrega- 
tion join  with  one  accord  in  the  exercises 
and  in  the  songs  of  praise.  Perhaps  it 
would  not  do  in  this  day  and  age  for  all 
the  people  to  jon  in  the  song,  and  for  all  the 
people  when  church  was  over  to  meet,  shake 
hands  with  one  another,  renew  their  ac- 
fiuaintance  and  have  a  social  minute  or  two, 
but  I  can  not  see  why  it  would  not  do:  I 
can  not  see  why  the  choir  in  the  corner 
should  be  called  upon  to  do  the  singing 
alone  and  for  the  whole  congregation;  I  can 
not  see  why  so  much  formality  should  be 
obser\-ed  in  the  jjulpit  and  with  the  congre- 
gation;  it  is  not  taught  in  the  Bible;  it  does 
not  engender  a  spirit  of  kindness  and  good 
feeling  and  is  not  the  way,  in  my  judgment. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


131 


to  extract  true  happiness  from  a  religious 
exercise.  I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  an 
exercise  should  consist  of  enthusiasm  alone, 
but  should  carry  with  it  a  sufficient  amount 
of  zeal  and  warmth  to  prevent  icicles  from 
accumulating-  in  the  midst  of  the  congrega- 
tions. 

The  writer  is  not  sure  but  what  the  re- 
ligion of  forty  or  fifty  years  ago  was  as 
pure  as  it  is  to-day,  and  is  not  sure  but 
what  the  church  member  and  minister  en- 
joyed the  religion  of  Christ  as  much  in  that 
day  as  they  do  at  the  present.  It  is  not 
always  the  'fine  pew,  the  dressy  pulpit  and 
the  retained  choir  that  produce  the  greatest 
amount  of  happiness  or  good  in  the  re- 
ligious world:  as  the  people  prosper,  we 
concede  that  there  arises  a  greater  demand 
for  I  letter  churches,  and  more  highly  edu- 
cated ministers.  This  is  all  right,  and 
should  be  encouraged,  yet  with  a  fine  church 
and  the  highly  educated  minister,  it  shou.ld 
be  the  place  in  which  everybody  should  be 
made  to  feel  at  home,  and  enjoy  the  wor- 
ship. 

The  growth  of  Christianity  has  kept  pace 
with  the  prosperity  of  the  county,  and  to- 
day we  have  many  denominations  over  the 
county  that  are  doing  much  good. 

The  Baptists  have  congregations  and 
churches  at  Taylorville,  Pana,  Edinburg, 
Stonington  and  Salem. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  has 
churches  at  Mt.  Auburn,  Taylorville,  Pana, 
Assumption,  Millersville,  Rosemond,  Buck- 
eye Prairie,  Owaneco,  Fair  view,  Palmer 
and  perhaps  other  places. 

The  Roman  Catholics  have  churches  and 
congregations  at  Taylorville,  Pana,  As- 
sumption, Stonington  and  Morrisonville. 

The  Christian  church  has  congregations 
at  Taylorville,  Assumption,  Edinburg,  Mt. 
Auburn,   Pana,   Liberty  church  in   Prairie- 


ton  township,  and  the  Christian  church  in 
South  Fork. 

The  Congregationalists  have  a  church  at 
Rosemond,  erected  there  by  the  early  set- 
tlers of  that  locality. 

The  German  Evangelical  denomination 
has  a  church  at  Pana,  and  doubtless  other 
places  in  the  county. 

The  Free  Methodists  and  Salvation  Army 
also  have  congregations  in  several  parts  of 
the  county,  which  are  doing  good  work,  and 
there  are  perhaps  many  other  churches  lo- 
cated in  different  parts  of  the  county  that 
the  writer  is  not  apprised  of,  but  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  say  that  all  of  these  churches  are 
a  blessing  to  the  community.  All  men, 
whether  they  are  Christians  or  not,  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  there  is  nothing  so  bene- 
ficial to  a  community  and  nothing  that  tends 
more  to  upbuild  and  strengthen  a  people  and 
to  invite  others  into  a  community  than  the 
fact  that  such  community  is  blessed  with 
ofood  churches  and  schools. 

Christian  county  is  proud  of  her  church 
record,  of  her  Sunday  school  record,  of  her 
church-going  people,  and  the  many  attrac- 
tions and  advantages  induced  by  the  relig- 
ious element. 

Transportation. 

Scarcely  less  important  than  the  subject 
of  production  is  the  one  of  transportation. 
Without  means  of  easy  and  rapid  transpor- 
tation the  valuable  products  of  any  section 
would  be  comparatively  valueless.  And  it 
is  to  this  fact,  second  only  to  that  of  pro- 
duction, that  this  county  owes  its  promi- 
nence among  the  counties  of  the  state  and 
nation.  The  productiveness  of  our  soil  and 
mines  will  soon  be  far  greater  than  any  esti- 
mates ever  yet  made  by  the  mind  of  man, 
but  their  value  depends  upon  the  ease,  rap- 
idity and  cheapness,  by  which  they  can  be 


132 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


transported  to  those  who  need,  hut  have 
not,  that  which  we  pnxhice  in  great  ahnn- 
dance.  h'or  a  portion  of  the  year,  truth 
compels  us  to  state,  that  tlie  wagon  roads  of 
this  country  are  almost  impassahle,  hut  they 
are  heing  fast  impro\ed  and  it  i^  not  a 
vision  of  a  s])eculati\e  fancy  merely,  to  state 
that  in  the  not  distant  future  the  entire  ]>ro- 
ductixe  area  of  this  county  will  he  spanned 
hy  electric  railroads,  which  will  enah.Ie  the 
products  of  our  soil  and  mines  to  he  trans- 
ported from  the  liomes  of  our  people  to  an 
open  market,  hoth  cheaply  and  ex])ec1i- 
tiously. 

Already  an  electric  railroad.  The  Amer- 
ican Central  Traction  Company,  has  heen 
planned  and  incorporated  penetrating  the 
county  from  east  to  west  and  from  north  to 
south  with  Taylorville  as  a  center,  and  with 
the  western  terminus  in  St.  Louis,  that  at 
all  times  of  the  year  will  place  the  products 
of  this  garden  of  central  Illinois  cheaply 
within  the  reach  of  a  ready  market. 

This  is  not  a  visi(m,  hut  a  scheme  that  is 
being  actually  realized.  But  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  the  electric  railroad  our  trans- 
portation facilities  does  not  alone  depend. 
As  early  as  the  year  1853  the  first  ground 
was  broken  and  the  great 

Illinois  Central  Railroad 

was  built  through  this  county  and  the  cars 
were  running  the  following  year.  The  line 
enters  the  county  from  the  north  on  section 
36,  township  14,  range  1,  east,  traverses 
the  county  in  a  southwesterly  direction  and 
leaves  it  on  section  t,^,  townshij)  it,  range 
I,  east,  and  passes  through  Assumi)tion  and 
Pana.  By  an  act  of  congress  passed  in 
September,  1850,  approved  by  President 
Eilmore,  an  aggregation  of  2,595.053  acres 
of  land  was  granted  to  build  the  road.  The 
riuht  of  wav  was  "ranted  and  everv  alter- 


nate section  of  land  for  six  miles  on  either 
side  of  the  road.  The  grant  of  land  was 
made  directly  to  the  state.  The  legislature 
of  Illinois,  thereafter  granted  a  charter  to 
an  eastern  com])any  to  Imild  the  road  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $1,000,000.  The  legis- 
lature in  granting  the  charter  transferred 
to  the  company  the  lands  obtained  from  the 
general  government,  hut  stipulated  that  7 
per  cent,  of  the  gross  earnings  of  the  road 
should  be  paid  semi-annually  into  the  state 
treasury,  forever.  This  wise  provision 
yields  an  immense  revenue  to  the  state. 
The  road  is  one  of  the  great  trunk  lines  of 
the  west,  reaching  from  Chicago  in  Illinois 
to  New  Orleans  in  Louisiana  and  to  Sioux 
City  in  western  Iowa.  The  first  ground 
was  broken  in  1853  and  cars  were  runnmg 
the  following  year.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
Assumption  and  Pana  were  located. 

TiiK  Indianapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad, 
Now  THE  Big  Four. 

This  road  extends  between  the  two  towns 
indicated  by  its  name  and  was  completed  hi 
1855.  not  far  from  the  same  date  that  the 
Illinois  Central  was  built.  It  enters  Chris- 
tian county  on  the  northern  line  of  section 
24  in  Pana  township  and  traverses  the 
■  county  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  leaving 
it  in  section  33  in  Rosemond  township.  It 
was  known  as  the  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  R. 
R.  wdien  constructed.  The  stations  in  this 
county  are  Pana  and  Rosemond.  The  point 
of  crossing  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  the 
Bio'  Four  railroads  determined  the  location 


o 


f  Pana. 


The  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Rail- 
way. 

This  is  probably  the  most  important  rail- 
road in  the  county,  and  does  an  immense 
Ijusiness    between    St.    Louis    and    Chica.go 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


138 


and  other  eastern  points.  The  length  of  the 
hne  in  this  county  is  more  than  thirty-one- 
miles.  The  principal  towns  in  the  county 
on  this  road  are  Taylorville,  Morrisonville, 
Palmer,  Clarksdale,  and  Stonington.  It 
enters  the  county  on  section  i,  in  Stoning- 
ton township  and  leaves  it  at  Harvel,  on 
section  4.  in  King  township.  It  crosses  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  at  Taylorville. 

The  road  was  built  under  a  charter 
granted  to  The  Decatur  &  East  St.  Louis 
railroad  and  was  commenced  in  1869  and 
completed  through  this  county  in  1870.  The 
Wabash  is  one  of  the  best  roads  in  the  west. 

The  Springfield  Division  of  the  Bal- 
timore &  Ohio  Railroad. 

This  road  runs  diagonally  through  the 
county  from  the  northwest  to  the  south- 
east. It  enters  the  county  on  section  10, 
Buckhart  township,  and  leaves  it  on  section 
24,  of  Pana  township.  Taylor\^ille,  Pana, 
Edinburg  and  Owaneco,  Sharps,  Millers- 
ville  and  Velma  are  the  stations.  The  road 
was  formerly  known  as  the  Springfield  & 
Pana  railroad,  afterward  as  the  Springfield 
&  Southeastern,  and  in  April,  1875.  it  was 
sold  to  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad 
company.  It  was  again  sold  to  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  Railroad  company  and  now 
forms  an  important  branch  of  their  trunk 
line.  It  was  built  under  a  charter  obtained 
in  1865  and  was  completed  in  1870.  The 
first  train  entered  Taylorville  at  5  o'clock 
P.  M.,  on  Oct,  25,  1869.  The  first  through 
train  from  Beardstown  to  Shawneetown 
was  run  on  March  28.  1872.  "  The  first  tele- 
graph office  opened  in  Taylorville  was  the 
office  of  tliis  road  and  was  opened  on  March 
II,  1872. 

The  Indiana,  Decatur  &  Western. 

This  road  was  extended  from  Decatur  to 
Springfield,  111.,  during  the  summer  of  1901. 


It  extends  from  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  to 
Spring-field,  Illinois.  It  follows  the  Wa- 
bash from  Decatur  to  Boody,  111.,  and  then 
extends  westward  across  the  northern  part 
of  the  county.  Its  most  important  station 
is  the  old  town  of  Mt.  Auburn,  which  it 
has  been  the  means  of  reinvigorating  and 
greatly  enlarging.  The  stations  on  this 
road  in  this  county  are  Osbornville,  Mt. 
Auburn,  Bakersville  and  Roby. 

The  Eastern   Illinois  Railroad. 

This  line  (February,  1904)  is  being  built 
from  Dan\-ille,  111.,  to  St.  Louis.  It  is  a 
part  of  the  great  "Friscoe"  system.  It  en- 
ters Pana  township  from  the  east  not  far 
from  the  center  line,  runs  southeasterly  to 
Pana  and  then  follows  The  Big  Four  rail- 
road out  of  the  county.  It  is  now  thought 
that  the  Big  Four  system  may  be  used  from 
Pana  to  St.  Louis.  It  affords  anoth.er 
through  line  from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis,  and 
will  doubtless  be  completed  during  the  year 
1904. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  county  is 
well  supplied  with  railroads,  without  the 
contemplated  electric  lines  which  will  prob- 
ably be  built  within  the  next  year  or  two. 
More  than  fifty  trains  daily  now  traverse 
the  county  transporting  the  freight  and  pas- 
sengers through  this  fertile  region  to  its 
destination.  These  roads,  scarcely  more 
than  in  their  infancy,  now  transport  mil- 
lions of  tons  of  freight  and  thousands  of 
passengers  annually.  Over  our  prairies  now 
ride  the  civilization  and  culture  of  the 
world.  The  future  holds  promises  more 
wonderful  than  can  be  imagined.  Our  pro- 
ductive capacity  has  hardly  been  touched. 
Food  and  fuel— the  two  great  essentials- 
will  flow  from  our  soil  and  mines  as  milk 
from    the    bosom    (^f    a    generoUs    mother. 


134 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Who  can  even  imagine  what  is  in  store  for 
this  people  in  the  future? 

Coal. 

One  of  the  greatest  inckistries  of  the  coun- 
ty, second  only  to  that  of  agriculture,  while 
yet  in  the  infancy  of  its  development,  is  the 
mining  of  coal.     It  is  certain  that  at  a  depth, 
of  from  three  to  eight  hundred  feet  an  im- 
mense  vein  of   an   excellent   quality   of   bi- 
tuminous   coal    from    six    to    eight    feet    in 
thickness   stretches  all  over  the  nvn-e  tha>i 
720  square  miles  of  this  county.     Only  in 
about   a  dozen   places  has   it  been   reached 
by  digging,  but  suflicient  has  been  done  to 
demonstrate  the   truthfulness   of  the  above 
statement.     It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  this 
count}'  possesses  enough  coal  to  supply  the 
entire  United  States  with  a  cheap  fuel  for 
a  period  of  time,  were  it   found  necessary 
to    use    it.      Beneath    the   ground    lies    this 
munificent  Init  necessary  commodity  but  it 
will  be  many  years  before  much  of  this  \'ir- 
gin    fuel    will    ever   be   touched    by   miner's 
pick  or  drill.      A   vast,    untold  and   almost 
unlimited  field  of  power  and  wealth  lies  be- 
neath us  while  above  grows  that  which  will 
feed  the  men  while  they  are  digg-ing  out  this 
treasure.     And  as  if  nature  had  been  most 
profuse   in    her  gifts  to  this  region,  above 
these  immense  veins  of  coal  is  a  rock  cover- 
ing man}-  feet  in  thickness,  thus  insuring  to 
the  laborer  beneath  the  surface  that  protec- 
tion so  much  needed  and  desired  by  those 
who  toil  for  this  latent  and  almost  limitless 
product,  that  was  stored  for  the  use  of  man 
when  the  earth  was  young.     It  is  an  ideal 
mining  county  and  one  which  should  always 
possess  cheap  fuel. 

All  over  the  county  there  may  be  obtained 
water  in  abundance,  so  that  the  three  essen- 
tials to  a  manufacturing  center,  viz.,  cheap 
fuel,  abundant  water  and  cheap   food,   are 


everywhere  present,  W^ith  a  large  home 
consumption  for  our  food,  and  an  abundance 
of  coal  there  is  no  reason  why  this  should 
not  become  one  of  the  great  manufactur- 
ing counties  of  the  west.  But  it  was  not 
always  known  that  we  possessed  these  great 
treasures.  For  years  most  of  these  lands 
were-  thought  to  be  untillable  and  the  ex- 
istence of  coal  in  any  considerable  quantity 
was  unknown. 

It  was  not  til  the  year  1882  or  1883  that 
this  vast  field  of  wealth  was  discovered.  To 
lie  sure,  small  veins  not  to  exceed  22  inches 
in  thickness  had  been  known  to  exist  on 
Coal  creek  in  the  southern  part  of  the  coun- 
ty. At  White's  Bank  on  section  34.  town- 
ship II  north,  range  i  east,  the  largest  vein 
was  found  and  the  coal  was  dug  out  by 
drifting  into  the  hillside  about  thirty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  creek.  Another  ten- 
inch  seam  was  found  near  Greenwood's  mill 
on  the  South  Fork,  but  the  coal  w^as  of  poor 
quality.  Near  the  North  Fork  mills,  a  17- 
inch  \ein  was  known  to  exist  several  feet 
below  low  water  mark. 

But  these  evidences  of  coal  w^ere  incon- 
sequential and  it  w^as  not  until  1882  that  the 
Pana  Coal  Company  sunk  a  .shaft  some- 
thing more  than  700  feet  deep,  found  a  vein 
of  coal  from  seven  to  eight  feet  thick,  and 
in  1884  began  taking  out  coal. 

Other  mines  followed  in  rapid  succession. 
The  second  shaft  of  the  Pana  Coal  Com- 
pany was  sunk  in  1887.  The  Penwell  Coal 
Comi)any  sunk  a  shaft  in  1888  and  began  re- 
moving coal  in  1889.  The  Springside  Coal 
Company  was  started  in  1889  and  coal  was 
removed   in    1890. 

In  Taylorville  ihc  meeting  of  the  first 
stockholders  to  perfect  the  organization  of 
a  company  was  held  on  Monday,  ]\Iarch  i, 
1886.     W.  \\\  Anderson  was  chosen  presi- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


]35 


dent  of  the  directors,  A.   G.   Barnes  treas- 
urer and  D.  D.  Shumway  secretary. 

On  May  ii,  1886,  a  contract  for  l)oring- 
was  let  to  S.  A.  Warner  of  Wadsworth, 
Ohio,  to  prospect  for  coal,  but  coal  was 
not  found  till  some  time  in  1887. 

On  January  6,  1888,  a  contract  was  made 
with  Mr.  S.  Ainsworth  for  sinking  a  shaft 
and  the  shaft  was  completed  Ijefore  the  close 
of  the  year. 

Numerous  other  shafts  have  been  sunk 
since  that  time. 

One  was  at  Edinburg  and  was  in  opera- 
tion for  several  years,  one  in  Assumption 
which  furnishes  a  peculiarly  valuable  quality 
of  coal  and  in  1900  the  Christian  County 
Coal  Company  in  Taylorville,  which  works 
a  large  force  of  men. 

And  still  others  are  in  course  of  construc- 
tion. A  drill  hole  is  being  rapidly  sunk  near 
Clarksdale  and  a  mine  just  outside  the 
county,  at  Blue  Mound,  and  still  others  are 
contemplated. 

From  the  mines  in  the  county  about  15,- 
000  tons  of  coal  contribute  to  the  uses  of 
man  daily,  and  many  mills  and  factories 
from  all  over  the  west  pour  forth  their 
smoke,  telling  of  this  immense  industry  in 
Christian  county  that  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 
From  a  beginning  in  Pana,  when  Mr. 
Julius  Broehl  sold  the  first  carload  of  coal 
in  1884  and  Ijut  few  men  were  employed, 
n(nv  but  little  less  than  3,000  men  are  kept 
busy  and  the  output  is  transported  by  five 
or  six  trains  of  cars  each  day.  And  what 
of  the  future?  Who  can  tell  ?  The  amount 
to  be  produced  is  unlimited  by  any  concep- 
tion of  man.  The  ease  with  which  it  may 
be  raised  to  'the  surface,  the  comparative 
safety  of  the  location  of  the  veins,  the  cheap- 
ness and  the  nearness  of  the  food  needed, 
the  abundance  and  superior  quality  of  the 
water,  all  proclaim  this  county  as  not  only 


an  agricultural  center,  as  not  only  a  mining 
center,  but  in  the  near  future  the  place 
where  many  manufactories  will  be  located 
l)ecause  the  raw  products  can  be  turned  into 
wares  for  the  uses  of  men  cheaper  here  than 
elsewhere.  The  rich  glimmerings  of  pros- 
perity now  experienced  are  but  the  faint, 
polden  orlow  of  the  richer  realizations  that 
may  be  looked  for  in  the  future. 

Drainage. 

'  Back  in  the  sixties  and  early  seventies,  if 
you  will  allow  me  to  take  you  back  that  far 
in  your  imagination,  you  could  have  wit- 
nessed some  very  unusual  sights,  and  not  the 
least  interesting  of  these  would  have  com- 
prehended a  view  of  the  flat  landscape,  cov- 
ered literally  with  water,  and  in  fact  a 
"water-scape"  if  the  term  may  be  properly 
used.  If  you  had  happened  upon  the  scene 
at  a  propitious  moment,  you  could  have  seen 
George  Waggoner  with  16  yoke  of  oxen 
hitched  to  an  enormous  plow,  one  which 
would  cut  a  furrow  24  inches  wide  and  16 
inches  deep — w-ith  a  crew  of  drivers  and  a 
few  onlookers,  slowly  wending  his  way 
along  the  wettest  and  lowest  places  in  these 
prairies,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of 
drainage  in  Christian  County.  Not  less 
than  twenty-five  drainage  districts  were  be- 
gun by  George  Waggoner  back  at  this  early 
date,  and  by  the  method  described.  Perhaps 
no  other  man  in  Central  Illinois  has  been 
oftener  in  court  during  later  years,  to  testi- 
fy to  the  beginning  of  these  drainage  enter- 
prises, than  Mr.  Waggoner,  and  he  has  a 
faculty  of  recalling  vividly  and  minutely  the 
details  of  the  work  done  by  him  in  these 
early  days,  recounting  his  experiences  in  a 
very  interesting  manner. 

Back  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement 
of  this  county,  it  was  thought  that  most  of 
the  prairies  were  a  waste,  and  not  susceptible 


13G 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


of  ever  Ijeing  utilized  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses. Most  of  our  sturdy  pioneers  settled 
along  and  in  the  timber,  preferring  to  clear 
out  the  trees  and  brush  rather  than  risk  the 
perils  of  water,  nioscjuitoes  and  malaria. 
\\  ilh  the  advent  of  more  settlers  from  the 
east,  it  became  necessary  that  the  prairie 
lands  should  he  invaded,  and  incident  to  the 
inllux  of  settlers  came  the  beginning  of 
drainage.  Lands  upon  the  prairie  were 
cheap  and  abundant,  a  large  amount  thereof 
belonging  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company,  donated  to  it  to  induce  it  to  con- 
struct a  railroad  through  the  flat  prairie 
lands,  thus  connecting  the  prosperous  and 
fertile  country  down  about  Cairo  in  Lower 
Egypt  with  the  rolling  prairies  and  prosper- 
ous communities  about  Freeport  in  North- 
ern Illinois. 

These  lands  were  gladly  disposed  of  to 
eastern  and  southern  settlers,  at  from  50 
cents  to  $2.50  per  acre,  and  considered 
"good  riddance"  by  the  railroad  company. 
Nothing  was  valuable  except  aw^ay  down 
in  "Egypt"  and  the  high  rolling  lands  of 
northern  Illinois,  and  except  also  a  few 
timber  tracts  about  "Hell's  Half-Acre,"  the 
"Bloody  Island,"  and  the  white  oak  bearing 
timber  lands  along  the  South  Fork  and 
Flat  Branch  generally.  This  has  all  been 
changed  now.  The  redeemed  swamps  are 
now  selling  for  from  $100  to  $140  per  acre, 
depending  upon  the  class  of  improvements 
they  have,  while  the  good  old  timber  lands 
are  worth  from  $30  to  $70  per  acre. 

The  real  value  of  farm  lands  depends 
largely  upon  the  character  and  quality  of 
their  soils,  and  their  proper  drainage  de- 
pends very  largely  upon  the  character  of 
subsoil. 

This  is  a  subject  which  is  of  very  great 
im]iortance,  and  is  being  investigated  most 
thoroughly  by  an  army  of  experts  in  the  em- 


plf)y  of  the  L\  S.  r3epartment  of  Agricul- 
ture, who  are  collecting  samples  of  soil  from 
nearly  every  locality  of  the  United  States, 
for  chemical  analysis,  reports  of  which  can 
be  secured  free  b)'  those  interested  in  the 
subject.  Therefore,  before  entering  more 
fully  upon  tlic  subject  of  land  drainage,  it 
will  not  be  amiss  to  glance  at  the  origin 
of  soils,  although  matters  of  a  rather  tech- 
nical nature  are  generally  not  very  popu- 
lar. 

The  earth  revolves  upon  its  axis  in  an  el- 
liptical orbit,  inclining  23^  degrees  to  the 
plane  of  the  celestial  equator,  and  which 
it  crosses  twice  each  year,  being  about  the 
2 1  St  of  March  and  September  respectively, 
or  the  season  of  the  vernal  and  autumnal 
equinoxes.  These  "crossings"  are  never  at 
the  same  point,  but  retrogress  about  five- 
sixths  of  one  minute  westward  each  year, 
which,  measured  at  the  earth's  equator, 
would  be  not  quite  one  mile.  Thus,  vast 
earth  changes  running  through  a  period  of 
25,868  years  follow,  and  during  which  time 
each  and  every  point  in  the  earth's  orbit 
has  its  perihelion  and  aphelion  passage. 
Now,  how  does  all  this  afTect  the  origin  of 
soils,  you  may  ask.  Well,  the  eccentricity 
of  the  earth's  orbit  brings  us  3,112,560  miles 
nearer  the  sun  when  the  earth  is  at  its  peri- 
helion passage  about  December  21st,  then 
when  at  its  aphelion  passage  six  months 
later.  By  the  procession  of  the  equinoxes 
the  time  presently  comes  when  the  perihe- 
lion passage  of  the  earth  comes  at  a  time 
when  the  earth  is  3,112,560  miles  farther 
away  from  the  sun  than  it  was  formerly  in 
mid-winter ;  then  look  out  for  a  "cold  snap." 
The  hands  of  the  geological  clock  will  then 
point  to  the  hour  of  universal  winter.  That 
such  periods  of  time  have  come  and  gone 
and  \\\\\  come  again  is  proven  in  the  "Book 
of  Nature"  if  we  but  read  the  lx)ok  aright, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


137 


and  during-  these  earth-winters  there  have 
been  in  agTs  past  mountains  of  ice  and  snow 
covering  all  the  country  from  the  Ohio  and 
Missouri  rivers  north  in  places,  miles  in 
depth.  It  scooped  away  the  solid  mountains 
of  the  north,  ground  and  crushed  them  into 
minute  particles,  and  covered  the  face  of  the 
upper  Mississippi  River  valley  with  a  man- 
tle of  debris  ranging  from  20  to  200  feet 
in  thickness,  and  interspersed  with  vege- 
table and  animal  remains,  many  of  which 
are  found  every  year  in  sinking  wells  in  this 
locality.  The  very  soil  we  have  here  owes 
its  origin  to  the  ice  epoch,  with  such  other 
forces  as  have  been  at  work  in  nature  modi- 
fied by  the  action  of  running  or  standing- 
water,  when  this  sea  of  ice  was  again  melt- 
ed, and  covered  our  Hat  prairie  lands  to 
perhaps  100  feet  or  more  in  depth  at  various 
places,  and  jjefore  the  drainage  channels 
were  eroded. 

The  great  lakes,  holes  and  l)asins,  and  in 
many  instances  the  stream  valleys  were 
gouged  out  by  the  plowing  action  of  the  ice 
in  its  resistless  march  southward  durins:  the 


ice  age. 


The  soils  we  have  here  are  a  result  of 
the  drift  l)rought  by  the  ice  from  the  north- 
west, a  soil  good,  black,  rich  and  deep. 
Further  east,  and  skirting  the  southeasterlv 
portion  of  this  county,  the  ice  l)rought  its 
debris  from  the  northeast  or  from  Wiscon- 
sin, and  the  soil  is  of  a  different  character 
and  much  less  fertile,  and  in  places  inter- 
mingling with  that  l)rought  from  Iowa  and 
the  northwest.  Other  forces  in  nature  have 
also  operated  to  induence  the  composition 
of  our  soils,  such  as  weathering,  freezing, 
thawing,  disintegrating,  baking  in  the  sun 
while  wet,  and  redissolving  again,  mixine 
with  vegetable  litter,  at  such  periods  as  when 
this  part  of  the  earth  had  eternal  summer, 
and   when   vegetation    flourished  luxuriant- 


ly, for  there  have  been  more  than  one  cycle 
of  recurring  changes,  and  more  than  one 
season  of  eternal  cold.  Thus,  our  soils  are 
a  result  of  an  almost  endless  comminution 
and  co-inixing  of  materials,  derived  from 
a  number  of  different  forces  in  nature.  ^ 

At  the  end  of  the  last  ice  invasion,  the 
whole  country  was  left  with  a  mass  of 
debris  from  20  to  200  feet  in  depth,  brought 
down  by  ice  and  water,  and  deposited  ir- 
regularly over  the  earth's  surface.  Only  the 
high  points  were,  at  first,  dry  land,  such 
as  Pope's  Hill,  Badger  Mound,  Blue  Mound, 
Mt.  Auburn,  and  a  few  others,  the  rest  of 
the  land  gradually  emerging  as  the  waters 
cut  drainage  channels  throughout  the  land, 
and  receded  therefrom. 

The  highest  point  in  Christian  county  is 
at  Badger's  Mound  (near  Rosemondj  and 
is  750  feet  above  sea  level.  The  lowest 
point  upon  the  natural  surface  is  near  the 
northwest  portion  of  the  county,  and  it  is 
530  feet  above  sea  level.  Another  point 
nearly  ecpially  as  high  as  the  "Badger 
Mound"  is  the  West  Blue  Mound,  in  the 
northeasterly  portion  of  the  county.  The 
general  topography  of  the  country  largely 
determines  its  drainage,  and  thus  we  see 
the  Mosquito  creek  entering  the  county 
about  four  miles  north  of  'the  West  Blue 
Mound  and  sluggishly  winding  its  way  in 
a  westerly  and  northwesterly  direction,  un- 
til it  empties  into  North  Fork  of  the  San- 
gamon river.  The  North  Fork  of  the  San- 
gamon river  forms  the  northerly  boundary 
of  the  county,  and  opposite  Mt.  Auburn 
makes  a  long  detour  to  the  nc^rth,  influenced 
l)y  the  high  land  in  that  vicinity.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Rosemond,  a  small  branch  of  the 
upper  South  Fork  of  the  Sangamon  river 
rises  on  either  side  of  Badger  Mound,  unit- 
ing somewhat  to  the  west  thereof,  and  with 
many  small  tributaries  running  first  wester- 


138 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


ly  and  northwesterly  until  it  strikes  a  high 
plateau  of  flat  lands  near  the  southwest  por- 
tion of  the  county,  then  gracefully  curving 
northeasterly  until  tlie  junction  with  Flat 
Branch,  then  again  deflecting  westerly  and 
southwesterly  and  finally  after  its  confluence 
with  Bear  Creek  going  northerly  and  north- 
westerly to  its  junction  with  the  North  Fork 
and  thence  forming  the  Sangamon  river. 
Many  smaller  trihutaries.  all  with  a  general 
northerly,  westerly  or  northwesterly  course 
traverse  the  county.  Where  the  streams 
flow  westerly  the  drainage  areas  upon  the 
north  side  are  usually  not  very  w^ide,  while 
that  upon  the  south  side  comes  from  quite 
a  distance.  This  is  again  a  result  of  the 
morraines  thrown  down  hy  melting  ice, 
causing  a  ridge  of  sandy  and  gravelly  soil, 
mostly  overlaid  with  a  sheet  or  black  or 
Sangamon  soil  as  it  is  technically  termed. 
Such  a  ridge  starts  a  little  southwest  of 
Taylorville  and  is  followed,  in  the  main,  by 
the  A\^abash  railroad  up  to  and  beyond 
Boody.  keeping  S(omewhat  to  the  north 
thereof  in  the  vicinity  of  Stonington,  and 
this  slight  ridge  is  the  divde  or  water  shed 
of  this  portion  of  the  county. 

Another  example  of  a  ridge  of  like  char- 
acter is  that  of  the  divide  between  Mosquito 
creek  and  the  North  Fork  of  the  Sangamon 
river  passing  through  Mt.  Auburn.  Many 
other  examples  might  be  named. 

As  stated  near  the  beginning  of  this  ar- 
ticle, most  of  the  earlier  systems  of  drain- 
age upon  the  flat  lands  were  started  by 
plowing  a  furrow  or  a  double  furrow^  along 
the  line  of  sloughs  and  low  lands.  Later 
these  were  improved  generally,  by  mutual 
co-operation,  using  teams  and  scrapers  for 
the  work  at  such  extreme  dry  seasons  as 
were  now  and  then  available  for  doing  the 
work.  j\s  the  lands  became  more  in  de- 
mand,   and    consequently    more    valuable, 


other  methods  of  construction  were  used, 
and  organization  of  drainage  districts  em- 
ployed.  One  of  the  earlier  districts  formed 
in  the  county  was  that  of  Taylorville  No. 
I,  leading  from  near  the  paper  mill,  north- 
erly and  crossing  the  north  lane  about  2/2 
miles  north  of  the  city  of  Taylorville.  The 
w^ork  of  construction  was  begun  in  July, 
1882,  and  was  finally  completed  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1883.  The  cost  of  the  improve- 
ment was  about  $3.00  per  acre  for  the  lands 
involved,  and  was  considered  a  very  great 
price  to  pay  for  drainage.  Many  other  re- 
deepenings  and  recleanings  have  been  done 
upon  this  system  of  ditches  since  then,  and 
no  doubt  the  ditches  have  repaid  their  total 
cost  a  hundred  fold.  About  the  same  time, 
1882  and  1883,  there  were  three  drainage 
districts  started  in  Stonington  township, 
and  after  much  opposition  were  completed  in 
1884.  There  was  at  time,  as  now,  consid- 
erable opposition  to  these  drainage  districts 
and  the  subject  generally  misunderstood, 
and  after  prolonged  litigation  it  was  finally 
settled  by  the  Supreme  Court  by  a  decision 
in  favor  of  the  drainage  districts.  The  way 
was  then  well  opened  for  this  class  of  w^ork. 
Following  almost  immediately  upon  the 
completion  of  these  three  districts  were  or- 
sranized  the  Lake  Fork  District,  north  of 
Pana.  another  district  in  Stonington  town- 
ship, three  others  in  South  Fork  township 
and  many  other  ditches  constructed  by  mu- 
tual arrangement  of  the  parties  interested. 
Most  of  the  improvements  made  up  to  1888 
was  by  deepening  and  enlarging  the  George 
Waggoner  plow  ditches  and  the  cost  to  the 
interested  lands  ranged  from  $1.00  to  $5.00 
per  acre.  Not  many  really  perfect  jobs  of 
ditching  had  yet  been  done.  The  ditches 
were  through  very  flat  lands,  could 
not  be  given  good  gradients  or  great  depth, 
and    consequently    filled    up    with    deposits 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


139 


more  or  less  and  had  to  he  frequently  re- 
paired and  recleaned.  The  farmer  land  qwn- 
ers  were  nearly  all  yet  in  debt  upon  their 
lands,  and  felt  that  they  could  not  well  af- 
ford to  pay  out  enormous  sums  of  money 
for  ditch  construction,  and  the  systems  of 
drainage  were  generally  a  compromise  be- 
tween perfect  plans  for  drainage  on  the  one 
hand,  and  dollars  cost  upon  the  other,  and 
were  not  always,  and  in  fact  were  rarely 
what  they  should  hax'c  been,  in  size,  dejith 
or  capacity. 

Of  later  years,  as  the  lands  have  advanced 
in  value,  the  improvements  in  the  way  of 
drainage  have  become  of  a  more  permanent 
character.  Five  miles  of  large  dredge-boat 
ditches  were  constructed  in  Stonington  and 
Buckhart  townships ;  ten  miles  of  dredge- 
ditch  work  was  done  in  the  Hog  Lake,  in 
the  easterly  portion  of  Ricks  township. 
Seven  miles  of  large  ditches  were  construct- 
ed in  the  South  D'Arcy  lands  in  King 
Township  with  a  dredge-boat ;  and  eleven 
miles  of  large  open  drains  in  northerly  King 
township;  also  seven  miles  of  ditch  recon- 
structed by  a  dredge  in  the  upper  "Big 
George"  creek  through  portions  of  Assump- 
tion and  Pana  townships ;  the  aggregate  of 
dredge  ditches  in  the  county  being  about  40 
miles,  costing  on  the  average  $2,500  per 
mile,  or  in  all  about  $100,000. 

The  open  ditches  constructed  by  teams 
and  scrapers  in  the  various  drainage  dis- 
tricts aggregate  235  miles.  Those  con- 
structed by  mutual  cooperation  number 
more  than  100  miles,  not  taking  into  ac- 
count those  constructed  for  lateral  drain- 
age upon  the  lands,  privately,  which  num- 
ber into  the  thousands,  and  probably  com- 
prise over  4.000  miles  more  of  open  ditches. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  sum  total  spent 
for  drainage  has,  in  fact,  been  enormous, 
and  it  was,   generally,   well  expended. 


During  more  recent  years,  the  demand 
has  been  for  better  drainage  and  works  of 
a  more  permanent  character.  Thus  the  plan 
of  under-drainage  by  tiles  has  now  come 
into  general  use.  Pipes  of  clay,  moulded 
like  brick,  and  afterward  dried  and  burned 
are  now  generally  employed.  The  subsoil 
of  all  these  flat  prairie  lands  is  of  a  porous 
texture,  being  covered  upon  the  surface,  and 
from  two  to  four  feet  in  depth,  with  a  black, 
decomposed  vegetable  soil,  the  underlying 
subsoil  being  of  a  "joint  clay"  whose  com- 
position is  such  that  it  is  permeated  with 
numerous  partings  or  seams,  and  has  a 
cuboidal  fracture,  which  admits  water  easily 
into  the  seams,  and  is  an  ideal  subsoil  for 
the  employment  of  under-drains.  Other 
sections  of  Illinois  have  not  always  the 
proper  character  of  subsoil  to  admit  of  good 
under-drainage,  but  with  few  exceptions, 
where  the  Wisconsin  drift  has  left  a  mantle 
of  white  tile,  invading  our  precincts  from 
the  northeast,  we  have  an  excellent  top  soil, 
fertile  and  inexhaustible,  and  underlaid  with 
an  excellent  "joint  clay"  subsoil.  It  is  par- 
ticularly notable  that  such  character  of  sub- 
soil is  an  almost  universal  accompaniment 
of  the  low,  flat  prairie  lands  of  this  county. 

Without  going  too  minutely  into  details, 
the  first  tile  drains  laid  in  the  county  were 
in  about  1878,  being  then  employed  where 
the  gradients  were,  without  question,  excel- 
lent, and  looked  upon  with  a  degree  of  sus- 
picion, until  time  had  demonstrated  their  ef- 
fectiveness. With  constant  experimenting 
and  a  general  advance  of  enlightenment  the 
work  of  under-drainage  has  gone  on  until 
now  the  demands  for  drain  tile  are  such  that 
we  have  ten  tile  factories  in  the  county, 
mostly  engaged  constantly  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  drain-tile,  and  besides,  buy  outside 
and  ship  in  upon  the  average  600  carloads 
every  year.    The  earlier  open  ditches  are,  in 


uo 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


many  instances,  being  reconstructed,  using 
large  tile,  going  farther  down  stream  where 
necessary  to  secure  greater  fall,  and  laying 
the  tiles  in  the  hed  of  the  former  open 
ditches.  A  notable  example  of  this  sort  of 
recent  construction  is  to  be  found  north  of 
Stonington,  where  a  drain-tile  28  inches  in- 
side diameter,  so  large  that  a  .small-sized 
man  can  crawl  into,  turn  ril)out  and  come 
l>ack  from  the  same,  was  laid  from  the  Buck- 
hart  creek  northeasterly  a  distance  of  one 
and  seven-eighths  miles,  at  a  cost  of  over 
$7,000.  This  system  of  drainage  continues 
for  .some  four  and  one-half  miles  further, 
the  tiles  decreasing  in  size  as  the  principal 
laterals  enter  the  same,  and  comprises  in  all 
over  fourteen  miles  of  tile  drains,  all  the 
costs  having  been  borne  by  funds  derived 
from  special  assessments  of  the  lands  inter- 
ested, at  a  total  cost  of  about  $14,000  and 
embracing  2,790  acres  of  land.  The  lateral 
drainage  tributary  to  this  includes  more  than 
25  miles  of  smaller  tile  drains.  The  v.'ork 
and  materials  cost  some  of  the  land  holders 
more  than  $8.00  per  acre  for  this  improve- 
ment alone,  they  having  previously  contrib- 
uted more  than  $5.00  per  acre  for  the  orig- 
inal open  drain.  The  land  owners,  some 
twenty-five  in  number,  are  all  satisfied  with 
the  results  obtained,  and  express  their  ap- 
proval of  completing  a  system  of  drainage 
which,  being  properly  done,  is  done  for  all 
time,  and  requires  no  expenditure  constantly 
to  maintain  the  .same.  In  like  manner  a 
very  great  number  of  drainage  districts 
have  empkned  tile  for  perfect  drainage. 
One  of  the  earliest  districts  to  u.se  tile  al- 
most exclusively  w-as  Locust  and  May  Union 
Drainage  District  No.  i.  'Scjuire  Mink. 
C.  A.  Stattner  and  others  w'cre  among  the 
liromoters.  and  after  excavating  an  open 
ditch  for  about  one-half  mile,  the  rest  of 
the  drainage  was  effected  by  means  of  tiles. 


using  an  18-inch  and  14-inch  tile  for  a  dou- 
ble outlet.  It  comprises  12  miles  of  tiles  of 
various  sizes,  whose  outlet  is  upon  the  lands 
of  Lee  Bradley  in  section  i  of  Locust 
township,  thence  northerly  and  northwester- 
ly in  an  open  ditch  to  the  middle  fork  of 
Brusli}-  Branch.  Tlie  district  comprises 
3,390  acres  of  what  were  formerly  very  wet 
lan.ds ;  has  miles  of  lateral  tiles  throughout 
the  \arious  farms,  laid  in  a  regular  net- 
work, cost  about  $4.50  per  acre  upon  an  av- 
erage for  all  the  lands,  has  cost  compara- 
tively little  to  maintain  the  system,  and  that 
mostly  for  extensions,  and  has  given  gen- 
eral satisfaction  to  the  interested  land  own- 
ers. The  benefits,  in  the  way  of  reclama- 
tion of  swamp  lands,  amount  to  thousands 
of  dollars  and  at  least  tenfold  its  cost. 

These  are  but  examples  of  what  has  been 
done  in  the  way  of  drainage.  To  enter  into 
the  details  fully  would  require  more  time 
and  space  than  are  at  my  command.  The 
importance  of  the  subject  of  drainage  and  its 
])ractical  application  in  our  county  in  suffi- 
cient to  justify  volumes  being  written,  and 
its  results  are  greater,  broader,  deeper  and 
more  far  reaching  than  would  at  first  glance 
be  appreciated.  It  has  made  fertile  fields 
and  farms  out  of  watery  wastes.  It  has 
transformed  a  wilderness  of  slough  grasses 
and  rushes  into  smiling  fields  of  corn  and 
happy  homes.  Its  financial  results  may  be 
summed  up  in  millions  of  dollars  benefits  to 
Christian  county,  in  increased  productive- 
ness of  thousands  of  acres  of  lands,  other 
thousands  of  acres  absolutely  redeemed 
from  ])rairie  swam])s  and  miasmatic  pools 
and  lakes.  More  than  half  the  lands  of  the 
county  were  practically  worthless,  and  one- 
fourth,  at  least,  were  valueless,  before  it 
was  ascertained  that  drainage  of  these 
wastes  could  be  accomplished.  With  even 
the  first  crude  drainage  systems,  came  en- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


Ul 


hanced  values,  dou1)lc  producing  capacity, 
and  a  oeneral  betterment  of  health.  With 
further  and  more  perfect  systems  of  drain- 
age, has  come  still  greater  land  values.  l)et- 
ter  roads,  and  very  greatly  improved  gen- 
eral appearance  of  the  farms  from  elimina- 
tion of  the  small  and  o.ften  irregular  waste 
])atches  of  swamps.  By  drainage  the  natur- 
al habitation  of  the  mosquito  has  been  de- 
stroyed. The  mosquito,  it  has  been  shown 
by  Dr.  O.  L.  Howard,  an  eminent  expert 
in  disease  germs,  is  the  harbinger  and  trans- 
mitter of  the  malaria  germ,  and  the  drain- 
age of  the  stagnant  ponds  has  decreased  by 
manv  millions  the  numbers  of  these  insect 
])ests,  to  say  nothing"  of  dispensing  with  the 
obnoxious  and  poisonous  odors  which  for- 
merly emanated  therefrom. 

There  are  63  regularly  organized  drain- 
age districts  in  Christian  county,  distributed 
among  the  various  towns  as  follows :  As- 
sumption, 8 ;  Buckhart,  4 ;  Greenwood,  i  ; 
King,  6 ;  Locust,  3 ;  May,  4 ;  Mosquito,  4 ; 
Pana,  4 ;  Prairieton,  i  ;  Ricks,  6 ;  Rosemond, 
3 ;  Stonington,  9 ;  South  Fork,  3 ;  and  Tay- 
lorville,  7. 

Some  of  these  are  counted  twice,  as  they 
include  lands  frequently  lying  within  por- 
tions of  two  or  more  towns.  The  towns 
of  Bear  Creek,  Johnson  and  Mt.  Auburn 
only  have  no  such  regular  organizations, 
but  have  each  done  a  great  deal  in  the  way 
of  drainage  improvement,  either  by  mutual 
agreement  of  the  land  owners  or  by  indi- 
vidual effort.  The  latter  remark  also  ap- 
plies to  each  of  the  other  towns,  there  hav- 
ing been  very  many  of  even  rather  compli- 
cated systems  of  drainage  effected  without 
organization  under  the  law.  The  time  is 
not  long  past  when  many  honest  men  looked 
upon  the  tile-draining  question  with  sus- 
picion. They  affirmed  that  the  great  amount 
of  drainage  work  done  was  the  direct  cause 


of  drouth,  and  during  seasons  of  great  pre- 
cipitation il  was  the  great  promoter  of  flood 
conditions  in  the  main  streams  of  the  coun- 
try. There  is  some  truth  in  the  theory  that 
better  drainage  facilities  have  accentuated 
the  flood  conditions,  but  what  matter  if  the 
rixers  rise  an  inch  or  two  or  even  a  foot  or 
two  higher  than  formerly?  The  sooner 
come  the  sooner  gone,  and  the  floods  do  not 
now  continue  so  long  as  formerly,  even  if 
they  become  higher. 

The  20th  century  fanner  is  a  man  who 
will  use  any  means  within  his  power  to 
"make  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  only 
one  grew  before,"  regardless  of  what  were 
the  opinions  of  his  forefathers,  and  the 
great  and  constantly  increasing  demand  for 
drain-tile  tells  the  story  more  forcibly  than 
words  can  express. 

Experience  in  all  affairs  of  life  is  the  final 
test,  and  now  that  we  have  the  experience 
of  hundreds  of  our  best  citizens,  farmers, 
land-owners  and  capitalists  who  have  tested 
thoroughly  the  various  methods  of  drainage, 
who  have  w^atched  its  effects  upon  the  soil 
and  crops,  and  who  pronounce  uneciuivo- 
cally  in  favor  of  thorough  under-drainage, 
the  question  would  seem  to  be  certainly  set- 
tled. 

What  are  the  real  tangible  benefits  of 
drainage?  Briefly  told,  upon  well  drained 
lands,  those  with  deep  drains,  or  where  un- 
der-drained by  tiles,  dry  out  earlier  l)y  days, 
and  in  some  instances  by  weeks,  than  those 
which  are  not  drained,  thus  enabling  their 
proprietors  to  get  out  early  crops  at  the 
proper  season,  and  this  of  itself  often  means 
a  great  advantage;  then  where  one  rain  is 
followed  by  another  at  intervals  of  a  few 
days,  the  under-drained  lands  are  dry  with- 
in a  very  short  time  so  that  farming  opera- 
tions can  proceed  at  the  proper  times,  and 
with  less  loss  of  time.     Again,  where  any 


142 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


kind  of  fertilizer  is  used,  with  nnder-drain- 
age  and  not  surface  drainage,  all  the  plant- 
producing  food  is  absorbed  by  the  soil,  and 
used  for  vegetable  growth. 

yVnother  l)enefit  derived  from  under- 
drainage  is  that  crops  grown  upon  drained 
land,  such  as  described,  by  reason  of  earlier 
seeding,  better  conditions  of  soil  and  other 
adxantages,  are  matured  earlier  in  the  fall, 
and  out  of  the  way  of  early  frosts,  which 
during  many  seasons  means  a  very  great 
loss  to  crops  upon  lands  not  under-drained. 
P)y  being  under-drained,  the  soil  becomes 
warmer  by  admission  of  air  through  the  soil 
pores,  which  upon  undrained  lands  are  filled 
with  water  during  the  early  season,  and  the 
warmth  with  just  sufficient  moisture  and 
not  too  much  is  most  conducive  to  plant- 
growth.  Crops  upon  such  lands  grow  with- 
out intermission,  and  if  a  dry  season  comes 
are  hardier  and  ranker,  shade  the  ground 
better,  thus  conserving  such  moisture  as  is 
available  from  dew\s  or  slight  show^ers  dur- 
ing periods  of  drouth.  Then,  to  sum  up 
the  benefits  of  tile-drainage,  they  are  as  fol- 
lows :  It  renders  the  soil  open  and  porous, 
makes  it  absorptive,  thus  retaining  the  nu- 
tritive elements,  gives  a  circulation  of  air 
through  it,  thus  increasing  the  temperature 
and  depth  of  the  available  soil,  and  makes 
it  a  fit  home  for  the  roots  of  all  plants,  and 
last  but  not  least,  renders  the  land  more 
accessil)le  for  going  about  upon,  and  more 
sightly  to  the  view. 

I  cannot  say  anything  more  appropriate 
in  closing  this  article  than  to  quote  a  poem, 
entitled  "The  Tile  Drain's  Soliloquy"  by 
Clayton  Melville,  and  published  some  years 
ago  in  TJic  Dnmuigc  Journal,  w'ith  apolo- 
gies to  Hamlet. 

"Here  I  am  resting, 
In  (|uiet  and  peace, 
At  last. 


^'es,  and  doing  more  good 

Lying  still  in  the  ground, 

Sa)ing    nothing, 

Than  in  all  my  existence 

P)efore. 

I'm  fragmentary,  'tis  true, 

1  hit  not  broken  ; 

Made  up  of  joints  of  burnt  clay 

Called  tiles; 

Yet  I  am  one 

Drain. 

]'\e  been  talked  alx)ut 

In  the  papers, 

And  at  conventions; 

Aye,  even  roasted. 

But  care  I  for  that,  do  you  think? 

Not  I. 

Why  should  I? 

I'm  faithfully  doing  my  duty. 

With  no  one  to  hinder 

Or  help  me ; 

I'm  content. 

'Still  w^aters  run  deep,' 

Yes.  just  four  feet, 

In  this  bit  of  soil 

Where  I  am. 

Do  they  think  of  me  now. 

At  the  factory, 

I  wonder? 

WHiere  the  man  with  the  patent 

Kiln 

Made  it  hot  for  me, 

l^humped  me  soundly. 

And  said, 

'That's  a  good  tile — 

Has  the  right  ring 

And  color, 

Etc' 

Does  he  care  for  me  now  ? 

I  guess  not. 

He's  selling  kilns, 

And  I— 

Am  draining  land. 

And  making  my  ow^ier  richer 

Each  year. 

r\-c  found  my  work. 

And  am  going  to 

Stick  to  it. 

I  suppose  some  men 

Still  talk  about  me 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


143 


As  they  always  have  talked 
And  say 
I  cause  drouths. 
And  floods  in  the  Ohio  valley, 
And  elsewhere, 
Of  course ! 

\u)Y  nothing  of  that  kind  occurred 
Before  I  got  in 
My  work. 
Oh,  no! 

But  they'll  understand 
What  I'm  doing- 
Sometime. 

I'm  a  Twentieth  Century  drain, 
And  am  doing  business 
According  to  lately 
Revised  laws  of 
Soil  physics ! 

And  getting  along  all  right, 
Too. 

The  tile-makers  likewise. 
Time  once  saw  me  proud, 
With  few  friends,  and 
Choice, 

But  now,  many 
Know  me. 

And  speak  well  of  me. 
One  is  always  well  spoken  of 
After  he's  buried, 
I  know, 

But  it's  true,  with  me. 
That  I  do  more  good 
Under  the  ground  than 
Above. 
Far  more." 

Conclusion, 

A  review  of  this  short,  though  imperfect, 
history  of  Christian  county  will  doubtless 
impress  the  reader  that  from  a  small  be- 
ginning Christian  county  has  rapidly  ad- 
vanced, and  is  now  entitled  to  be  classed 
among  the  leading  and  best  counties  of  the 
state  of  Illinois ;  her  system  of  drainage  has 
rapidly  developed  the  agricultural  condition 
of  the  county,  improved  the  health  and  the 
roads.  Today  the  farmers  are,  as  a  rule,  en- 
entirely  out  of  debt ;  most  of  them  have  more 
or  less   money   in  the  bank;   almost   every 


farmer  has  his  carriage  or  buggy,  a  spare 
team  with  which  he  can  take  the  wife  and 
the  daughter  to  church  or  town  with  ease 
and  comfort ;  most  of  the  farmers  are 
blessed  with  good  comfortable  homes ;  most 
of  them  have  good  sheds  for  the  shelter  of 
the  stock;  nearly  all  of  the  horses,  cattle, 
hogs  and  sheep  raised  in  the  county  are  of 
a  high  order  or  class,  from  which  the  pur- 
chaser realizes  the  greatest  possible  profit. 

The  farms  are  cultivated  by  the  best  im- 
proved machinery,  and  the  farmer  of  today 
can  do  more  work,  raise  more  grain,  than 
three  farmers  of  a  few  years  ago. 

Everything  used  by  the  farmer  tends  to- 
ward economy  in  time  and  the  employment 
of  labor-saving  machinery,  all  of  wdiich 
when  properly  cared  for  and  used  economi- 
cally tends  to  better  the  condition  of  the 
country  ;  also  the  tenantry  of  Christian  coun- 
ty have  good  comfortable  houses  to  live  in, 
and  comfortable  barns  for  their  stock,  and 
th(y  too  are  able,  as  a  rule,  to  have  their 
se]  arate  teams  and  buggies  to  give  their 
families  more  pleasure. 

Merchants  and  business  men  of  the  coun- 
ty enjoy  large  and  profitable  trade ;  many  of 
them  have  grown  wealthy  at  the  county,  and 
many  of  the  older  merchants  have  retired 
and  given  place  to  younger  men;  today  you 
an  article  of  merchandise  as  can  be  obtained 
ca)  purchase  in  Christian  county  as  good 
in  the  great  cites  of  St.  Louis  or  Chicago. 

The  merchants  of  the  cities  and  villages  of 
Christian  county  have  as  fine  a  display  of 
goods,  as  large  a  stock  on.  hand  as  will  be 
seen  in  any  county  or  city  outside  of  the 
larger  class  of  cities.  Nearly  all  of  the  cities 
and  villages  of  the  county  have  their  streets 
lighted  by  electricity,  using  the  most  im- 
proved lights ;  modes  of  conveyance  by  elec- 
tricity arc  being  projected  for  the  benefit  of 
the  different  localities  of  the  county.     The 


144 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cities  have  an  excellent  class  of  bnildings 
for  business  pin-poses,  and.  all  over  the 
county  in  every  city,  village  and  on  almost 
every  farm,  can  he  found  many  beautiful 
homes  with  the  most  modern  improvements 
therein:  where  but  a  few  years  ago  the 
wealthiest  men  of  the  county  had  but  a  few 
thousand  dollars,  today  there  are  hundreds 
of  men  worth  more  than  $100,000  and  thou- 
sands of  men  worth  from  $15,000  to  $50.- 
000  each  ;  this  wealth  has  not  been  the  re- 
sult of  speculation  or  of  a  sudden  accumu- 
lation, but  has  been  produced  by  a  steady  and 
effectixe  growth  which  was  brought  about 
bv  bountiful  crops  and  the  development  of 
the  interests  and  natural  resources  of  the 
county,  which  lias  produced  wealth  for  the 
cofifers  of  many  of  the  inhabitants. 

The  larijer  cities  of  the  countv  have  two 
and  three  banks,  and  in  nearly  every  town 
and  village  in  the  county  there  is  a  bank 
located,  yet  all  of  these  banks  are  today 
overfiowinu"  with  monev,  have  more  than 
they  can  use,  more  than  they  can  loan,  and 
it  has  all  been  accumulated  l)y  a  deposit  of 
the  surplus  money  of  their  i)atrons.  Chris- 
tian county  has  grown  rapidly  in  population 
and  today  it  has  a  population  of  nearly  forty 
thousand  souls. 

The  health  is  good,  business  of  every  kind 
and  character  in  the  county  is  apparently 
prosperous ;  the  people  are  law-abidin.g,  and 


w  bile  we  have  friction,  some  misunderstand- 
ings, and.  as  some  people  say,  many  law- 
suits, yet  it  must  l)e  remembered  that  the 
business  of  the  courts  dei)ends  largely  upon 
the  business  transacted  in  the  county;  a  per 
cent  of  the  business  can  be  reckoned  as  re- 
sulting in  litigation  and  this  ])er  cent  wnll 
l)roduce  a  greater  amount  of  litigation  where 
much  Imsiness  is  done  than  where  a  small 
amount  is  transacted. 

Christian  county  indeed  has  a  record  of 
which  its  people  can  be  proud,  its  people  are 
proud  of  it;  and  every  inhabitant  of  Chris- 
tian county  is  as  bold  to  say  that  he  be- 
longs to  Christian  county  as  the  old  Roman 
was  to  say  that  "T  am  a  Roman,"  and  while 
many  of  our  people  have  from  time  to  time 
sought  other  communities  to  better  their 
condition,  very  many  of  that  number  have 
returned  to  Christian,  and  say  that  they 
have  not  been  able  to  find  any  country  or 
community  better  to  live  in  than  Christian 
county.  While  it  may  not  be  very  judicious 
for  us  to  be  "praising  our  own  wares,"  yet 
as  this  l)Ook  is  intended  more  particularly 
for  circulation  in  Christian  county,  and  as 
its  patrons  are  residents  here,  there  can  be 
nothing  improper  in  confidentially  saying  to 
one  another  that  we  have  one  of  the  best 
counties  on  God's  green  earth. 

J.  C.  McBride. 


I.   C.   McBRlDE 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


J.  C.  McBRlDE. 

The  profession  of  law  is  one  to  which 
many  aspire,  hnt  in  which  few  succeed  to 
any  remarkal)le  degree.  The  snhject  of  this 
sketch  is  one  of  the  few  who  have  won  suc- 
cess, and  he  is  now^  recognized  as  one  of  the 
best  attorneys  in  central  Illinois  and  is  the 
dean  of  the  Christian  county  1)ar.  Taylor- 
ville  has  l)een  his  home  for  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury and  no  man  wiihin  its  l)orders  is  bet- 
ter known  or  has  a  ^^  ider  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

The  McBride  family  is  of  Scotch  ances- 
try, the  great-g-reat-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject coming  to  this  country  at  a  very  early 
day.      General  James   McBride,   one  of  his 
ancestors,    was    contemporary    with    Daniel 
Boone  in  Kentucky,  and  Grimshaw,  in  his 
"Historic    Days,"    says    "General    McBride 
antedates  Daniel  Boone."    Thomas  W.  Mc- 
Bride, the  father  of  our  subject,  however, 
was  born  in  Tennessee.     He  married  Mar- 
gery A.  H.  Wiggins,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
from  which  state  they  emigrated  at  an  early 
day,  locating  in  Macoupin  county,  Illinois, 
where  he   engaged    in    farming  and   stock- 
raising,  becoming  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of   the  county.      They   reared   a   family   of 
eight  children,  four  boys  and  four  girls,  of 
whom  five  are  yet  living,  James  C.  being  the 
only  one  living  in  Christian  county. 

James  C.  McBride  was  born  on  his  fath- 
er's farm  near  Palmyra,  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,    July    i6,    1845,    ^"^1    in   the   public 


schools  of  the  neighborhood  received  his  pri- 
mary education.  1-ater  he  attended  for  a 
time  the  Quaker  College,  at  Richmond,  In- 
diana, after  which  he  entered  Lincoln  Uni- 
versity, at  Lincoln,  Illinois,  from  which  in- 
stitution he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1869 
with  the  degree  of  B.  S. 

In  his  boyhood  and  youth,  Mr.  McBride 
assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm, 
but  after  graduating  from  the  university  he 
taught  school  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
father's  home  for  oi^.e  term.  While  teach- 
ing he  took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  after 
the  expiration  of  the  term  in  which  he  was 
employed  as  a  teacher,  he  entered  the 
office  of  Judge  W.  R.  Welch,  of  Carlinville, 
Illinois,  and  continued  his  studies  for  about 
one  year,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
being  the  first  one  admitted  after  the  eleva- 
tion of  Judge  H.  M.  Vandeveer  to  the  cir- 
cuit bench. 

In  the  spring  of  1871  Mr.  McBride  took 
up  his  residence  in  Taylorville  and  at  once 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
Like  young  attorneys  generally,  he  had  at 
first  a  hard  time  to  get  along,  clients  being 
a  little  averse  to  giving  their  patronage  to 
those  untried,  but  by  and  by  they  began  to 
come  in,  and  now  for  more  tl;an  twenty 
years  he  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar, 
and  few  cases  of  any  great  importance  tried 
in  the  courts  of  Christian  county  but  found 
him  retained  on  one  side  or  the  other.  Law 
with  him  has  been  a  study,  a  profession,  and 


148 


PAST  ANU  PRESENT 


to  ihal  i^rofession  he  has  j4ivcn  the  greater 
part  of  his  Hfe  and  energy.  There  has  never 
heen  any  incentive  placed  before  him  to  make 
him  swerve  from  his  chosen  work.  aUhough 
he  has  l^een  associated  in  some  outside  busi- 
ness enterprises,  but  in  nothing  that  would 
take  too  much  of  his  time  to  the  neglect  of 
the  law.  L'ntil  tlie  admission  of  his  son  to 
a  partnership  v^'ith  him  he  had  always  prac- 
ticed alone,  except  for  a  period  of  about 
three  years,  and  his  prominence  has  been  se- 
cured by  his  own  merits  and  not  from  the 
borniwed  light  of  others.  In  1898  he  gave 
his  son  an  interest  in  his  practice,  since 
which  time  the  f^rm  of  J.  C.  &  \\\  B.  Mc- 
Bride  lias  been  in  existence  and  has  won  the 
greatest  prouiinence  at  the  Christian  county 
bar.  But  not  alone  at  the  l)ar  (^f  his  adopted 
county,  but  in  the  supreme  court  of  his  state 
and  in  the  federal  courts  of  the  nation  has 
he  been  prominently  identified.  • 

For  manv  years  Mr.  McBride  was  iden- 
tified with  the  Taylorville  Coal  Company, 
and  for  some  years  acted  as  president  of  the 
corporation,  liut  in  1896  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest. He  has  also  been  a  stockholder  and 
director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Tay- 
lorville for  many  years.  With  five  other 
gentlemen  he  is  a  large  landowner  in  Missis- 
si])pi,  in  one  of  the  most  productive  parts 
of  the  great  cotton  belt.  He  has  also  ac- 
(|nirc'd  by  his  own  efforts  sexeral  hundred 
acres  of  \'ery  productive  land  in  Christian 
count}'. 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1871,  Mr.  McBride 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mattie 
Wheeler,  of  Lincoln.  Illinois,  daughter  of 
Aaron  and  Almira  Wheeler,  of  that  city. 
She  has  Ijeen  truly  a  heliimeet  to  him  and 
encouraged  and  assisted  him  in  all  his  un- 
dertakings. They  became  accjuainted  wdiilc 
they  were  students  in  the  Lincoln  Uni- 
versitv.     Their  union  has  been  an  exceed- 


ingly ha])py  one,  and  four  children  came  to 
bless  it  Willis  B.,  now  tlie  partner  of  his 
father,  married  Miss  Rose  Schultz,  and 
they  have  one  child.  Katherine.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Ada.  Ohio,  University,  and 
has  a  bright  fntm-e  before  him.  Horace  is 
now  a  resident  of  Carlinville,  Illinois,  and  is 
manager  of  the  Shale  Brick  &  Tile  Works. 
He  married  Miss  Belle  Wheeler,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Clarabel.  Elma  is  the  wife 
of  Adelbert  Buckley  and  is  the  mother  of 
one  child,  Helen  Elizabeth.  He  is  a  busi- 
ness man  in  Tayloi-ville.  Marcel-la  is  at 
home  with  her  parents. 

Li  politics  Mr.  McBride  espouses  the 
princii)les  of  the  Democracy,  and  is  a  fear- 
less advocate  of  them  upon  the  stump.  He 
has  never  aspired  to.  nor  would  he  accept 
public  office  outside  the  line  of  his  profes- 
sion, preferring  to  give  his  time  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs.  As  a  delegate  he  has  been  in 
many  conventions  and  was  one  of  the  Bli- 
nois  delegation  to  the  national  Democratic 
con\entiou  at  Kansas  City  in  1900.  As 
.  city  attorney,  he  served  several  years  with 
satisfaction  to  the  citizens  of  liis  adopted 
citv.  Pie  also  served  as  master  in  chancery 
for  two  years  and  some  years  ago  was  nom- 
inated by  his  party  for  circuit  judge  but 
was  gerrymandered  out. 

iM-aternally  Mr.  McBride  is  a  member 
of  Mound  Lodge.  No.  122,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Taylcjrville;  of  1'aylorville  Chapter.  No. 
102.  R.  A.  M.,  and  of  Elwood  Command- 
erv.  No.  6,  K.  T.,  of  Springfield.  He  is 
now  past  master  of  the  blue  lodge.  For 
manv  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  in 
i(;(X)  he  received  a  veteran  jewel  for  hav- 
ing been  a  member  in  good  standing  for 
twenty-five  years. 

Mr.     McBride     stands     deservedly     high 
among  the  legal  fraternity,  his  ability  being 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


j49 


recognized  by  all.  He  is  the  peer  of  any 
man  at  the  bar  in  central  Illinois,  and  the 
ability  of  the  members  of  that  bar  is  un- 
qnestioned.  He  is  able,  painstaking  and 
conscientious  in  his  wcM'k,  and  to  secure  him 
as  an  advocate  the  man  is  indeed  fortunate. 
He  has  many  warm  friends,  and  it  is  pos- 
sible some  enemies,  as  what  man  has  not 
that  possesses  any  force  of  character.  As 
a  citizen  he  is  ever  ready  to  assist  in  any 
and  every  thing  that  will  tend  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  his  adopted  city  and  county, 
and  evidence  of  that  interest  is  shown  on 
every  hand. 


J.  N.  C.  SHUMWAY. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  Taylorville  is  J.  N.  C.  Shumway, 
who  has  been  and  is  actively  connected  with 
its  business  affairs.  He  belongs  to  that  class 
of  representative  men  who  while  ]3romoting 
individual  interests  also  advance  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  Energetic  and  progressive  in 
business  life  he  has  at  the  same  time  been 
active  in  public  interests  and  has  represented 
his  district  in  the  state  senate.  He  is  now  the 
secretary  of  the  Taylorville  Savings  &  Loan 
Association,  of  which  he  was  the  organizer 
and  of  which  he  has  been  secretary  from 
the  beginning.  In  1889  he  was  made  secre- 
tary and  manager  of  the  Taylorville  Electric 
Light  Company,  which  office  he  still  fills 
and  he  was  one  of  the  original  directors  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  with  which  he  is 
still  associated. 

Mr.  Shumway  was  born  in  Christian 
county  on  the  28th  of  September,  1850,  his 
parents  being  D.  D.  and  Emily  R.  (Roun- 
tree)  Shumway,  a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  He 
acquired    his    education    in    the    schools    of 


Taylorville  and  afterward  spent  four  years 
as  a  student  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Col- 
lege of  Iowa.     When  nineteen  years  of  age 
he  went  to  Nebraska  in  company  with  his 
sister  and  brother-in-law,  who  journeyed  in 
a  covered  wagon,  while  Mr.  Shumway  drove 
a  sulky.      They  were  five  weeks   upon  the  • 
road  but  ultimately  reached  their  destination 
and  our  subject   assisted   in   improving  his 
brother-in-law's  land  there.     At  a  later  date 
he    returned   to    Taylorville,    where   he    re- 
mained up  to  the  time  of  his  father's  death 
in  1870.     He  then  went  to  Lincoln,  Nebras- 
ka, and  opened  the  first  exclusive  carpet  store 
in   that   city.      He   spent  three   years   there 
and  afterward  went  to  South  America,  but 
in  January,  1875,  he  again  came  to  Taylor- 
villle,  where  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  un- 
der the  direction  of  W.  M.   Provine,  with 
whom  he  remained  two  years.     For  a  sim- 
ilar period  his  reading  was  directed  by  J.  G. 
Drennan,  but  because  of  ill  health  he  was 
obliged  to  abandon  the  law  and  with  Mr. 
Drennan  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  other 
business  interests.     In  the  year  1877  he  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace,  which  position 
he  filled  for  twelve  years,  during  which  time 
he  tried  between  five  and  six  thousand  cases. 
His   rulings  were  strictly   fair  and   impar- 
tial and   his  official   career  was   one  which 
gained  him  the  high  commendation  of  the 
public.      In    1884  he  organized  the  Taylor- 
ville Savings,  Loan  &  Building  Association, 
of  which  he  has  since  been  secretary.     This 
company  has   been  largely  instrumental   in 
improving  the  city,  many  houses  having  been 
erected  through  the  assistance  gained  from 
the  organization.     In    1889  Mr.    Shumway 
became  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Tay- 
lorville Electric  Light  Company  and  still  acts 
in  that  capacity.     He  has  also  been  one  of 
the   directors   of   the   First   National   Bank 
since  its  organization.    He  has  been  engaged 


10 


150 


FAST  AND  PRESENT 


ill  llie  real  estate  ami   insurance  business  in 
Tayloi-\ille  fnr  tlie  past  twenty-six  years. 

In  February,  i!^//.  occurred  tlie  marriage 
of  Mr.  Sliuniway  and  Miss  Filly  Rotlicbild, 
of  Salem,  Illinois.  Fnto  tlieni  liave  been 
born  two  daugbters:  Nemniie  1\.,  tbe  elder, 
at  bome  :  and  (Iene\ie\e  (I.,  wbo  is  now  at- 
tending tbe  b^irest  Park  LIniversity  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri. 

Fi  bis  social  relations  Mr.  Sbumway  is  a 
Mason,  bis  membersbi])  being  witli  tbe  lodge 
in  Fincoln,  Nebraska.  Fie  is  also  connected 
witb  tbe  Knigbts  of  Fytbias  fraternity  and 
witb  tbe  Red  Men  at  Taylorville.  In  poli- 
tics be  is  an  earnest  Deiuocrat  and  in  i89<S 
be  was  elected  u])on  tbat  ticket  to  tbe  state 
senate,  wbere  be  was  active  in  su])port  of 
mucb  im])ortant  litigation,  being  largely  in- 
strumental in  tbe  restoration  of  tbe  old 
garnishee  law,  wbicb  bad  been  on  tbe  statute 
books  since  the  adoption  of  tbe  first  consti- 
tution of  Illinois,  but  which  had  been  greatly 
changed  to  tbe  detriment  of  the  working 
classes.  In  1903  Mr.  Sbumway  was  a]5- 
pointed  Illinois  commissioner  for  the  Louisi- 
ana Purchase  Exposition  and  served  as  a 
member  of  the  committees  on  Iniildings, 
mines  and  minerals,  and  w^as  chosen  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  grounds,  interior 
and  exterior  decoration  and  furnishing  of 
building. 

Mr.  Sbumway  ])urcbased  tbe  corner  lots 
in  Taylorx'ille  where  the  old  Foiig  Flotel 
once  stood  and  erected  thereon  a  good  brick 
building,  in  which  he  has  his  o.Pfice.  Tie 
also  owns  property  on  the  west  side  of  the 
square  and  other  real  estate  in  various  parts 
of  the  town.  He  has  ever  been  public  spir- 
ited, taking  a  deep  and  helpful  interest  ir. 
that  which  pertains  to  tbe  public  good.  In 
business  he  has  been  actix-e,  energetic  and 
progressive  and  as  tbe  result  of  his  carefully 


directed  efforts  be  has  gained  a  place  among 
the  substantial  and  representative  citizens  of 
Taylor\Ille. 


W.  J.  SAFING,  M.  D. 

Dr.  \V.  J.  Saling,  wbo  is  engaged  in  tbe 
practice  of  medicine  in  Stoningtoii,  was  born 
in  Marshall  county,  Kentucky,  April  9,  1865. 
and  is  a  son  of  W.  j.  and  M.  J.  Saling.  Tbe 
father  was  born  in  JMlmonson  county,  Ken- 
tuckv,  in  tbe  year  1819  and  there  followed 
farming  and  mercantile  pursuits  through- 
out bis  business  career.  He  died  in  tbe 
year  1890,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1891. 

Dr.  Saling  obtained  his  early  education 
in  tbe  schools  of  Kentucky  and  prepared 
for  tbe  practice  of  medicine  as  a  student  in 
the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Fouisvllle,  Kentucky,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1892.  Well  qualified 
for  his  chosen  calling,  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  at  Smithland,  Kentucky,  wdiere  be 
remained  for  three  and  a  half  years,  gaining 
broad  experience  through  tbe  varied  prac- 
tice that  comes  to  a  member  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  a  small  tow'n.  He  afterward 
removed  to  Ellsw-orth,  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mainetl  until  1899,  when  he  came  to  Ston- 
ington.  It  was  not  long  before  he  gave  evi- 
dence of  his  thorough  understanding  of  the 
science  of  medicine  and  bis  correct  applica- 
tion of  his  knowdedge  to  the  needs  of  suffer- 
ing humanity.  A  liberal  patronage  has  there- 
fore been  accorded  him  by  the  public  and 
be  has  now'  a  large  practice  which  has  as- 
sumed profitable  proportions.  He  is  con- 
tinually studying  to  enhance  his  proficiency 
and  his  broad  reading,  experience  and  in- 
vestigation have  made  him  one  of  the  able 
memliers  of  the  profession  in  Christian  coun- 
ty.    He  has  been  particularly  successful  in 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


151 


the  treatment  of  typhoid  fever  and  of  chronic 
cases.  He  is  now  medical  examiner  for  the 
John  Hancock  Life  Insurance  Company,  of 
Boston.  Massachusetts,  also  the  Franklin 
Life  Insurance  Company,  of  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  the  Illinois  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany. He  has  written  a  number  of  articles 
for  publication  in  the  Medical  World  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Christian  County  Medical 
Society.  His  entire  time  and  attention  has 
been  devoted  to  his  chosen  calling  and  he 
has  a  well  equipped  office,  in  which  he  does 
considerable  microscopic  work,  taking  a 
great  interest  in  it. 

In  March,  1892,  Dr.  Saling  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Alice  Webb,  of  Litchfield, 
Kentucky,  and  unto  them  was  l)orn  a  daugh- 
ter, Edna,  who  now  resides  at  home.     On 
the  loth  of  May,  1900,  the  Doctor  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with'  An- 
gelene  Solliday,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  J.   H. 
Solliday.     The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  val- 
ued members  of  the  Reformed  church  and 
the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  of  Ston- 
insfton  and  the  surrounding  district  is  ex- 
tended  to  them.     He  has  recently  completed 
a  beautiful  residence  which  cost  thirty-three 
hundred  dollars.     It  is  heated  with  furnace, 
supplied  with  a  hot  and  cold  water  system 
and  excellent  sanitary  arrangements  and  is  a 
most  modern  home  in  every  particular.    Fra- 
ternally  the   Doctor   is   connected   with   the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Frater- 
nal Army  and  the  Court  of  Honor.     In  his 
political   affiliations  he  is  a  Democrat,   but 
he  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  time  and  energies  t^)  his 
chosen  profession,  in  which  he  has  met  with 
signal  success.     In  manner  he  is  kindly,  in 
disposition  genial  and  the  sterling  traits  of 
iiis  character  are  such  as  win  for  him  the 
good  will  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


ALLEN  PEABODY. 

Allen  Peabody  is  the  owner  of  an  excel- 
lent farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on 
section  16,  Prairieton  township,  and  the  im- 
provements on  the  place  are  largely  a  monu- 
ment to  his  enterprise  and  business  capacity, 
for  he  has  developed  the  farm  to  its  present 
prosperous  condition.   A  native  son  of  Chris- 
tian   county,    he    was    born    in    1865.      His 
parents  were  Dr.  E.  S.  and  Sarah  Peabody, 
the  former  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  the 
latter  of  Kentucky.     The  father  was  born 
in  18 1 2  and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  early  '30s. 
He  was  a  physician  and  surgeon  and  prac- 
ticed his  profession  in  Springfield  for  a  time, 
after  which  he  removed  to  Danville  and  in 
i860  came  to   Christian  county,   where  he 
purchased  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land.     Abandoning  the  practice  of  medicine, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  occupation  of 
farming,  which  he  followed  until  his  death, 
which  occurred   in    1900.      His   widow  still 
survives  him  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
Taylorville. 

Mr.  Peabody  of  this  review  pursued  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Decatur  and  of 
Taylorville     and     manifested     considerable 
aptitude  in  his  studies,  so  that,  at  the  age 
of    seventeen    years,    he    was    qualified    for 
teaching.     Securing  a  school  he  was  identi- 
fied  with   educational   work   in   this  county 
for  three  years,   after  wdiich   he   spent  one 
year  in  Kansas  and  then  returned  to  Chris- 
tian county.     He  has  since  been  engaged  in 
farming.     He  lx>ught  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  on  section  16,  Prairieton  town- 
ship, where  he  now  lives  and  began  the  im- 
provement of  the  property,  carrying  on  the 
work  of  cultivation   until  he  has  to-day  a 
very   fine    farm.      The   fields   are    rich   and 
productive  and  yield  a  golden  tribute  to  the 
owner   for  the  care  and  labor   he  bestows 


152 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


upon  them.  He  has  tiled  his  laiul,  huilt 
fences,  divicHng  the  place  into  fields  of  con- 
venient size  and  carried  forward  his  work 
in  a  most  progressive  manner,  resulting  in 
making  him  one  of  the  leading  agricultur- 
ists of  the  township. 

In  1888  Mr.  Peabody  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Dora  Oliver,  a  daughter  of 
Michael  Oliver,  a  native  of  West  Virginia. 
Unto  our  subject  antl  his  wife  have  been 
born  nine  children,  but  only  two  are  now^ 
living.  Grace  and  Verna.  Mr.  Peabody 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Democracy,  and  is  now 
serving  as  supervisor  of  Prairieton  town- 
ship. For  one  year  he  was  tax  collector  in 
his  township  and  in  all  public  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility  he  has  l)een  most 
faithful,  prompt  and  accurate  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America. 


HENRY  DAVIS. 


The  present  generation  owes  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  the  pioneers  of  the  Prairie 
state  that  can  never  be  repaid.  The  trials 
and  hardships  endured  by  them  to  make  the 
state  what  it  is  to-day.  one  of  the  foremost 
in  all  the  Union,  cannot  be  realized  by  those 
enjoying  the  present  comforts  of  an  ad- 
vanced civilization. 

Henry  Davis  was  a  pioneer  of  Sangamon 
and  Christian  counties,  one  who,  in  early 
life,  knew^  nothing  of  present  day  comforts, 
and  who.  in  his  lx)yhood  and  youth,  never 
dreamed  that  there  was  much  else  in  this  life 
but  hard  work  and  a  struggle  for  existence. 
He  was  born  wdthin  six  miles  of  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  April  24.  181 7,  and  when  three 
years  of  age  came  with  his  parents,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  Davis,  to  Sangamon  county, 


Illinois,  the  family  locating  on  a  farm  near 
Mechanicsburg.  Here  he  grew  to  manhood, 
receiving  his  education  in  the  old  log  school- 
house  so  often  pictured  by  the  old  pioneer 
in  relating  his  life's  struggles  to  his  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren,  but  from  whose 
doors  went  forth  some  of  the  grandest  men 
that  ever  walked  the  earth,  and  whose 
names  are  written  high  on  the  roll  of  fame. 

Mechanicsburg  and  Mount  Auburn  town- 
ships, within  who.se  boundaries  the  greater 
part  of  the  life  of  Henry  Davis  was  passed, 
was  not,  in  that  early  day  the  highly  cul- 
tivated, the  prosperous  section  now  known, 
but  was  covered  in  greater  jiart  by  a  heavy 
growth  of  timber  that  had  to  be  cleared 
away  that  in  its  place  might  be  planted  the 
corn  and  sown  the  wheat  that  has  made 
Illinois  famous  throughout  the  whole  civil- 
ized world.  In  that  work  the  toyhood, 
youth  and  early  manhood  of  our  subject 
were  passed,  and  those  that  were  personally 
acquainted  with  him  know  how  well  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  work  and  with  what  re- 
sults. At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  on 
the  29th  of  May,  1840.  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Caroline  Kipper,  a  native  of 
Lexing^ton,  Kentucky,  b<irn  near  the  beauti- 
ful  city  of  Lexington,  July  -!3.  1820,  and 
daughter  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kipper,  pioneer 
settlers  of  Christian  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  Ijegan  their  married 
life  with  little  of  this  life's  goods.  They 
waited  not  to  acquire  large  possessions  be- 
fore entering  the  matrimonial  state,  but  with 
love  in  their  hearts  one  for  the  other,  and 
a  steadfast  determination  to  at  least  ac- 
quire for  themselves  a  comforta1)le  home, 
they  commenced  life's  journey  together.  He 
had  health  and  strength,  ambition  and  great 
natural  ability.  Together  thev  worked  hard, 
lived  frugally,  sometimes  even  denying 
themselves  what  are  considered  the  neces- 


C^t^  L-/Z, 


1 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


165 


saries  of  life,  l)nt  they  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  their  possessions  accumulate,  the 
boundaries  of  their  farm  reach  out,  and  to 
know  that  in  old  age  they  would  be  secure 
from  want  and  have  the  means  to  secure  the 
luxuries  denied  them  in  early  life. 

After  living  on  a  farm  in  Mechanics- 
burg  township,  Sangamon  county,  for  some 
years,  Mr.  Davis  acquired  a  farm  in  Chris- 
tian county,  to  which  he  removed  with  his 
family.  In  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
inp"  he  became  extensively  engaged  and  suc- 
cess crowned  all  his  efforts.  In  1868  he 
moved  into  the  village  of  Mount  Auburn, 
where  he  remained  for  about  six  years  and 
then  moved  to  Spiingfield,  Illinois.  From 
there,  in  1877.  he  went  to  Detroit.  Michi- 
gan, where  some  years  were  spent  and  later 
took  up  his  residence  in  Lafayette.  Indi- 
ana, where  his  death  occurred  Sunday,  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1901.  Ilis  last  moments  were 
peaceful  and  his  mind  was  clear  until  a  few 
hours  before  he  died,  when  he  lapsed  into 
unconsciousness.  He  was  survived  by  his 
wife  and  two  children,  Henry  Davis,  Jr., 
of  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  Mrs.  David 
Hoover,  of  Taylorville.  From  Lafayette 
his  remains  were  taken  to  Taylorville,  and 
from  the  Christian  church,  which  is  a 
memorial  to  his  generosity,  he  was  laid 
away  to  rest. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Davis  removed  to  Taylorville,  where  she 
made  her  home  until  she,  too,  "fell  asleep 
in  Jesus,"  Thursday,  June  12,  J902.  She 
was  a  faithful  wife,  a  loving  mother,  and  her 
life  work,  her  untiring  energy  in  deeds  of 
righteousness,  together  with  her  beautiful 
character,  blends  well  with  the  ever  exem- 
plary career  led  l>y  her  husband.  She  was  a 
charitable  woman,  a  devout  worker  in  the 
Christian  church,  and  was  imbued  with  all 
the  characteristics  of  a  noble  woman. 


In  his  political  views  Henry  Davis  was 
a  stanch  Democrat,  and  he  was  not  only  a 
life-long  friend  of  Stqjhen  A.  Douglas,  but 
was  also  an  intimate  friend  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  Judge  Logan,  Milton  Hay,  Ninian 
Edwards  and  other  prominent  men  of  Illi- 
nois. As  a  citizen  he  was  ever  ready  to 
discharge  any  duty  devolving  upon  him,  and 
while  advancing  his  own  interests  he  also 
materially  aided  in  ])romoting  the  general 
welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
Ilis  death  removed  a  strong,  cf^mmanding, 
unifpie  figure  from  life,  but  while  he  has 
"jiassed  on  before"  his  memory  will  be  held 
in  lasting"  remembrance  bv  those  who  knew 
him  best,  and  his  life  is  well  worth  emulat- 
ing. 


W.  W.  MORRISON. 

One  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  and  hon- 
ored citizens  of  Pana  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  introduces  this  review.  He  was  born 
on  the  8th  of  A])ril,  1835,  in  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  of  which  .state  his  parents,  Will- 
iam and  Roxana  (Wilson)  Morrison,  were 
also  natives.  By  occupation  the  father  was 
a  farmer.  In  1838  he  brought  his  family 
to  Illinois,  making  the  journey  in  a  covered 
wagon  and  located  in  the  western  part  of 
Pike  county,  where  he  built  a  home  on  the 
prairie  and  converted  a  wild  tract  of  land 
into  a  good  farm.  At  that  time  there  were 
many  wolves  and  deer  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  while  prairie  chickens  and  other 
feathered  game  was  very  numerous.  In 
those  early  days  Mr.  Morri.son  tcxjk  a  very 
active  and  jjrominent  part  in  public  affairs 
and  served  as  supervisor  of  the  county  for 
about  twenty-five  years.  He  was  lx:)rn  in 
1799  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  and 
his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1800,  passed  away 
in   1875.     1'hey  were  most  estimable  people 


ISO 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


and  were  liighly  respected  by  all  wiio  knew 
them.  Of  their  seven  children  only  our 
subject  and  his  older  sister,  Mrs.  Mary 
lane  Corey,  of  Bay  lis.  Pike  county,  are  now 
living". 

W.  W.  Morrison  was  only  three  years  old 
on  the  removal  of  the  family  to  this  state 
and  amid  pioneer  scenes  he  grew  to  man- 
hood upon  the  home  farm,  being  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Pike  county.  His 
earlv  training  well  fitted  him  for  teaching 
and  he  successfully  engaged  in  that  pursuit 
for  several  vcars.  devoting  his  time  and  en- 
ergies to  that  occupation  through  the  win- 
ter months,  while  he  followed  farming  dur- 
ing the  summer  season.  Vnv  two  winters 
he  drove  three  and  a  half  miles  to  and  from 
school   each   day. 

On  South  Prairie,  Pike  cc^unty.  Mr.  Mor- 
ris(Mi  was  married  February  9,  1859,  to  Miss 
Eleanor  ]\Iegaw.  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  Megaw.  She  was  born  in  Harri- 
son county,  Ohi(\  October  18,  1835,  and  was 
there  reared  and  educated.  By  her  marriage 
she  became  the  nuither  of  two  children  but 
George  F.  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months 
and  Mary  Elizalieth  died  of  consumption  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  vears  after  a  lingering  ill- 
ness. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morrison  began  their  mar- 
ried life  upon  a  farm  in  Pike  county,  where 
thev  remained  until  1865,  when  they  came 
to  Christian  county  and  located  three  miles 
north  of  Rosemond.  Vov  ten  years  our  sub- 
ject continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits but  in  March.  1875,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Pana,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
grocerv  business  for  two  years.  He  then 
sold  out  and  took  his  family  to  Wisconsin 
with  the  hope  of  benefiting  his  daughter's 
health.  He  did  all  in  his  power  to  prolong 
her  life,  employing  the  best  medical  skill  and 
trying  different  climates,  but  all  to  no  avail 


and  she  finally  passed  away  in  her  sixteenth 
vear,  leaving  a  vacancy  in  the  home  which 
never  can  be  filled.  Mr.  Morrison  still  re- 
sides in  Pana.  where  he  owns  property  .and 
where  he  is  now  living  retired,  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  former  toil.  He  still  has  a  good 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Rosa- 
mond township,  ruiother  of  two  hundred 
seven  and  a  half  acres  in  Tana  township,  and 
a  third  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Fayette  county,  Illinois,  lie  has  a  nice  mod- 
ern residence  at  the  corner  of  INIaple  and 
East  Second  streets,  Pana. 

W'hile  living  in  Pike  countv,  Mr.  Morri- 
son  served  as  town  clerk  for  several  years 
but  has  never  sought  political  honors.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  prominent  and  influential 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  take  a  very  active  part  in  its  work.  ]\Ir. 
Morrison  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
building  committee  at  the  time  the  new  house 
of  worship  was  erected  in  Pana  and  is  now 
chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday-school,  He  has 
filled  the  latter  office  many  years,  being  su- 
])erintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  at  Rose- 
mond and  a  member  of  the  building  com- 
mittee at  that  place  while  living  in  that  local- 
ity. He  is  also  greatly  interested  in  mis- 
sionary work  and  does  all  in  his  power  to 
])romote  the  moral  and  social  welfare  of  his 
community.  Both  he  and  his  wife  greatly 
enjoy  the  company  of  young  people  and  are 
loved  and  respected  alike  l)y  old  and  young, 
rich  and  poor. 


BENJAMIN  H.  HAILEY. 

For  a  third  of  a  century  Benjamin  H. 
Hailey  has  been  numl)ered  among  the  pro- 
gressive and  energetic  citizens  of  Christian 
countv  and  is  at  present  successfully  en- 
gaged  in   the  grocery  business   at   Palmer. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


57 


Following  in  the  for>tstcps  of  his  father,  who 
was  a  soUHcr  fjf  the  I>lack  flawk  war,  he 
fought  for  over  three  years  in  the  Rebel- 
lion, partiripating  in  some  imjjortant  en- 
gagements. In  years  of  pe^ice,  no  less  than 
in  lhr)se  of  war,  he  has  bravely  performed 
his  duty  and  is  justly  entitled  to  a  place  on 
the  nation's  roll  of  honor. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Hailey  was  born 
in  Sangamon  county,  January  9,  1841,  and 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Melvenia  M. 
THiggins)  Hailey.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  Edmund  Hailey,  who  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Virginia  and  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried and  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  18 12. 
William  Higgins,  the  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  was  twice  married,  becoming  the 
father  of  eighteen  children.  In  183 1  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  died  in  Sangamrm 
county  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  1  i  e 
served  in  Anthony  Wayne's  campaign. 

Thomas  J.  Hailey,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  during 
boyhood  removed  to  Tennessee  with  the 
family  of  the  man  to  whom  he  was  appren- 
ticefl  to  learn  the  carpenters'  trade,  which 
he  followed  in  early  life.  In  1830  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Sangamon  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  assisted  in  putting  on  the  first 
shingle  roof  in  Springfield.  He  took  part 
in  the  first  Black  Hawk  campaign  in  1832. 
In  187 1  he  came  to  Christian  county  and 
made  his  home  in  Palmer  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  in  1887  when  nearly  eighty-two 
years  of  age.  He  first  married  Miss  Nar- 
cissa  Moore,  by  whom  he  had  two  children 
but  only  r,ne  is  now  living — Mrs.  Emeline 
E.  Thomas,  who  is  now  a  widow.  For  his 
second  wife  Mr.  Hailey  married  Miss  Mel- 
venia Higgins,  who  died  in  1885,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years.    The  two  children  born 


of  this  union  were  our  subject  and  his 
brother  Edward,  who  died  in  1864  shortly 
after  Ix^ing  discharged  from  the  army  on  ac- 
count of  disease  contracted  in  the  service, 
lie  was  a  member  of  Company  A,  Third 
Illinois  Cavalry. 

During  his  brn'hood  and  youth  Benjamin 
IT.  Hailey  lived  on  a  farm  in  Sangamon 
county  six  miles  from  Springfield.  When 
the  country  l)€came  involved  in  civil  war  he 
offererl  his  services  to  the  government,  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years  enlisted  in  Com- 
])any  A,  Third  Illinois  Cavalry,  with  which 
he  served  for  three  years  and  fourteen  days, 
taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge, 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post,  Cham- 
pion Hills,  Black  River  Bridge,  the  sieges 
of  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  and  in  over  forty 
skirmishes.  For  thirteen  successive  days  he 
was  engaged  in  the  skirmishes  of  Green's 
cavalry.  Fortunately  he  was  never  injured 
or  confined  in  the  hospital  but  has  always 
been  extremely  healthy  and  .strong  and  never 
apjjlied  for  a  pension.  He  was  mustered  out 
as  quartermaster  sergeant. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Sangamon 
county,  Mr.  Hailey  engagefl  in  farming  for 
one  year  and  then,  feeling  the  need  of  a 
better  education  to  qualify  himself  for  his 
future  life  work,  he  attended  the  Illinois 
State  University  at  Springfield  for  three 
terms  and  also  took  a  commercial  course  at 
Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  of  that 
city.  Forming  a  partnership  with  George 
E.  Stake,  he  opened  a  general  .store  at  Cot- 
ton Hill  and  was  afterward  appointed  post- 
master, serving  in  that  capacity  for  a  year 
and  a  half.  In  1869  the  busine.ss  was  re- 
moved to  Palmer  and  alx)ut  two  years  later 
Mr.  Hailey  Ixjught  his  partner's  intere.st  and 
has  since  continued  in  business  alone,  with 
exception  of  a  year  and  a  half  during  the 
panic  of  1873.     He  soon  surmounted  all  dif- 


158 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ficulties,   however,   and   is    to-day   enjoying 
an  excellent  trade. 

On  the  29th  of  June.  1871.  Mr.  Hailey 
married  Miss  Mary  E.  Wood,  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah 
(Hodge)  Wood,  of  Blue  Mound,  Illinois. 
Her  father  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  while 
her  mother  claims  Ohio  as  her  birthplace. 
Of  the  five  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hailev,  two,  Frances  E.  and  Elenora  E., 
died  in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are  Lil- 
lian C,  wife  of  Ed  H.  Shake,  of  Spring- 
field; Stella  May,  wife  of  J.  H.  Hill,  of 
this  county:  and  Cora  E.,  deceased,  who 
was  killed  in  a  runaway  in  September,  1895. 

Air.  Hailey  is  an  honored  member  of  Wil- 
liam A.  Higgins  Post,  No.  400,  G.  A.  R., 
and    served    as    its    commander    for    seven 
years.     By  his  ballot  he  supports  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  its  principles  and  his  fellow- 
citizens   recognizing  his   worth   and   ability 
have  called  upon  him  to  fill  several  import- 
ant ofificial  positions.    He  was  town  clerk  for 
two  years  and  president  of  the  village  toard 
at  one  time.     For  four  years  during  Har- 
rison's administration  he  served  as  postmas- 
ter of  Palmer,  retiring  from  that  office  on 
his  own  accord  in  June,  1893.     For  several 
years  he  has  been  notary  public  and  in  1887 
was  a  popular  candidate  for  the  position  of 
sheriff  and  only  missed  the  nomination  by 
one  vote.      He   was   again    appointed   post- 
master in  May,  1897,  and  is  still  serving  in 
that  office.     His  public  and  private  life  are 
alike  above  reproach  and  he  has  left  office 
as  he  entered  it  with  the  entire  confidence 
and   respect   of   his    fellow-citizens.      He  is 
emphatically  a  man  of  enterprise,  indomita- 
ble energy  and  strict  integrity  and  is  thor- 
oughly identified  in  thought  and  feeling  with 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  his  town  and 
county. 


HENRY  N.  SCHUYLER. 

Henry  N.  Schuyler,  a  well  known  banker 
and  prominent  and  infiuential  citizen  of 
Pana,  of  which  city  he  has  been  mayor  for 
six  terms,  was  born  on  the  4th  of  February, 
1844,  in  Montgomery  county.  New  York, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  S.  and  Clarissa  (Van 
Schaick)  Schuyler,  both  of  Holland  descent. 
The  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
spent  his. entire  life  in  Montgomery  county, 
New  York.  Politically  he  was  identified 
with  the  Republican  party  from  the  time 
that  General  Fremont  was  a  candidate  for 
president,  and  religiously  he  was  a  member 
of  the  German  Reformed  church.  In  his 
family  were  seven  children,  namely  :  Sarah, 
now  deceased ;  Jacob,  a  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county.  New  York;  Henry  N.,  of 
this  review ;  and  Nettie,  Frederick,  Anna 
and  Frank,  all  residents  of  Montgomery 
county.  New  York. 

During  his  boyhood  Henry  N.  Schuyler 
remained  on  the  home  farm,  assisting  his 
father  in  its  operation,  and  his  early  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county.  He  was  twenty  years  of 
age  when  he  left  the  parental  roof  and 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  In  the  fall 
of  1864  he  made  his  way  westward  and 
after  spending  a  few  months  in  Iowa  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Hillsboro  on  the  7th 
of  March,  1865.  For  three  years  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  American  Express 
Company  at  that  place  and  for  one  year  was 
with  the  Merchants  Union  Express  Com- 
pany. At  one  time  he  was  associated  with 
a  partner  in  the  establishment  and  conduct 
of  a  lumber  yard  at  Greenville,  Illinois, 
which  proved  a  profitable  investment. 

Coming  to  Pana,  in  March,  1870,  Mr. 
Schuyler  embarked  in  the  hardware  business 
with  John  A.  Hayward,  who  sold  out  two 
years  later  and  they  then  formed  a  partner- 


s-^s^ip^sff^iitJ^a- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


101 


ship  and  entered  into  the  real  estate  Inisi- 
ness  and  the  loaning  of  money  for  three 
years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  firm 
opened  a  private  hank,  which  was  organized 
in  1876  under  the  style  of  Hayward  & 
Schuyler  and  was  capitalized  for  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  forty 
thousand  dollars.  Two  years  later  Mr. 
Schuyler  purchased  his  partner's  interest  in 
the  hank,  which  he  has  since  carried  on  with 
marked  success,  it  now  having  a  paid 
up  capital  of  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars. In  1896  he  admitted  his  son  to  a 
partnership  in  the  husiness  and  the  firm 
name  has  since  heen  H.  N.  Schuyler  &  Son. 
Although  he  gives  his  attention  principally 
to  his  banking  husiness,  he  is  interested  in 
other  enterprises  and  is  the  owner  of  con- 
siderable valuable  property,  including  lands 
in  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Illinois. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1874,  Mr. 
Schuyler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Adelaide  H.  Hayward,  a  native  of  Illinois 
and  a  daughter  of  John  S.  Hayw-ard.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Massachusetts  and  at  an 
early  day  came  to  Illinois,  being  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Hillsboro,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
May  3,  1869.  For  many  years  he  was 
actively  identified  with  husiness  affairs  and 
at  one  time  owned  fifty  thousand  acres  of 
valuable  Illinois  land.  The  old  Hayward 
homestead  in  Pana  was  built  under  his  di- 
rection but  was  never  occupied  by  him  and 
now  belongs  to  his  son,  William  E.  Hay- 
ward. a  resident  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  In 
his  family  w'ere  four  children  but  only  Will- 
iam E.  is  now  living.  Another  son,  John 
A.  Hayward,  was  our  subject's  former  part- 
ner. He  died  in  1879  in  Pana,  where  his 
widow  still  resides,  and  left  three  daugh- 
ters. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schuyler  were 
born  two  children:     George  Hayward,  the 


elder,  was  born  in  Pana,  January  8,  1875, 
and  (lie<l  of  appendicitis  in  New  York  city, 
February  22,  1904.  His  early  years  were 
spent  with  his  father  in  Pana,  where  the 
rudiments  of  his  education  were  acquired. 
His  college  preparatory  course  was  taken 
at  the  Northwestern  University,  Evanston, 
Illinois,  and  he  was  graduated  at  Yale  Uni- 
versity in  1896.  He  entered  the  Harvard 
Law^  School  in  the  fall  of  1897  and  received 
his  degree  therefrom  in  1900.  After 
a  few  months  spent  in  Pana,  he  located  in 
New  York  city  the  same  year  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession.  He  gave 
his  constant  and  unremitting  attention  to 
its  duties  and  was  succeeding  to  a  degree  not 
(Mily  satisfactory  to  himself  but  which  jus- 
tified the  hopes  of  his  friends  that  his  efforts 
would  be  crowned  wdth  the  highest  success. 
He  was  endowed  by  nature  with  a  vigorous 
mind,  retentive  memory  and  a  strong  phy- 
sical constitution,  aided  by  habits  of  tem- 
perance. Planting  his  feet  firmly  at  every 
successive  step,  he  was  led  onward  and  up- 
ward by  a  laudable  ambition  to  achieve  hon- 
orable distinction  through  his  own  efforts, 
by  industry,  patience  and  the  use  of  means 
fair  and  praiseworthy,  but  his  career  was 
cut  short  at  its  very  threshhold.  His  death 
was  a  terrible  blow  to  his  father,  whose 
hopes  had  long  centered  in  his  almost  idol- 
ized son.  The  only  surviving  child  is  Ruth, 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Albert  M.  Cole,  of  Indian- 
apolis, by  whom  she  had  one  child,  H.  S. 
Mrs.  Schuyler,  who  was  an  earnest  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  died  on  the  loth 
of  November,  1877.  leaving  many  friends 
as  well  as  her  immediate  family  to  mourn 
her  loss. 

For  thirty  years  Mr.  Schuyler  has  been 
connected  wdth  the  Masonic  fraternity,  be- 
longing to  the  blue  lodge  and  chapter  at 
Pana.     In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican 


1G2 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


and  has  ever  taken  an  active  and  prominent 
part  in  pnMic  affairs.  He  has  lieen  a  dele- 
gate to  all  C(nmty  conventions  of  his  party 
since  coming  to  Pana  with  one  exception 
and  was  also  presidential  elector  for  Mc- 
Kinlcy  in  1896.  Tn  1876  he  was  first  elected 
mayor  of  Pana  and  so  acceptahly  did  he  fill 
the  office  that  he  was  called  npon  to  serve 
in  the  same  capacity  for  four  consecutive 
terms.  Later  he  was  re-elected  and  again 
in  1903  he  was  chosen  chief  executive  of  the 
city,  making  six  terms  in  all.  The  reins  of 
city  government  were  never  in  more  capahle 
hands,  for  he  is  pre-eminently  ])nblic  spirit- 
ed and  progressive  and  does  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  general  welfare.  He  stands 
high  in  ])oth  political  and  business  circles 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Pana. 


J.  W.  MURPHY. 

The  occupation  of  farming  has  always 
claimed  the  attention  of  J.  W.  Murphy,'  who 
is  an  extensive  and  successful  raiser  of  grain 
on  section  18,  Taylorville  township.  He  was 
born  in  Glasgow,  Kentucky,  in  1832,  and 
has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  since  1836. 
His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of 
Ireland  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage. 
He  emigrated  from  the  northern  part  of  the 
Emerald  Isle  to  the  new  w^orld,  being- 
obliged  to  leave  that  country  on  account  of 
religious  persecution.  Settling  in  Anierica 
in  colonial  days  he  joined  the  colonists  in 
their  struggle  to  win  liberty  and  valiantly 
aided  in  obtaining  independence  for  this  na- 
tion. During  the  Revolutionary  war  his 
wife  killed  a  Tory,  wdio  had  entered  their 
house  and  was  trying  to  overpower  her  hus- 
band, (irasping  an  old  gun  l)arrel  she  struck 
the  man  a  blow  which  terminated  his  life. 
Dr.  J.  R.  Murphy,  the  father  of  our  sub- 


ject, became  a  resident  of  Illinois  in  1836, 
settling  about  two  arid  a  half  miles  from 
Crows  Mill  on  Sugar  creek  in  Sangamon 
county.  There  he  lived  for  two  years  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  removed  to 
Carlinville.  He  continued  in  the  ])ractice 
of  medicine  at  Chesterfield  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1859.  y\s 
one  of  the  early  pioneer  physicians  of  the 
county  he  deserves  great  credit  for  what  he 
(lid  for  his  fellow'men.  The  practice  of 
medicine  at  that  time  necessitated  much 
hard  work  for  the  physician  who  had  to 
make  long  rides  in  all  kinds  of  weather.  His 
sacrifice  of  personal  comfort  was  frequently 
as  great  as  that  endured  by  the  soldier  upon 
the  field  of  battle. 

J.  W.  Murphy  accjuired  his  education  in 
a  private  school  in  Chesterfield,  which  he 
attended  through  three  wnnter  seasons.  On 
completing  his  education  he  began  work  as 
a  farm  hand,  being  at  the  time  but  sixteen 
vears  of  age.  He  worked  upon  a  farm 
which  was  held  for  him  by  his  sister  until 
he  attained  his  majority.  He  remained  near 
Chestei-field  until  1867,  when  he  came  to  the 
farm  on  section  18,  Taylorville  township, 
on  which  he  now^  resides.  He  lias  always 
given  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits 
and  his  labors  have  been  attended  w'ith  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success.  His  mother 
resided  with  him  until  the  time  of  her  death 
and  now  his  niece,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Brayden,  is 
acting  as  his  housekeeper.  His  farm  was 
unimproved  when  he  took  posession  of  it — a 
tract  of  wild  prairie  land  on  which  not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  or  even  a  fence 
built.  With  characteristic  energy,  how^ever, 
he  began  its  development  and  cultivation 
and  in  the  course  of  years  has  made  a  splen- 
did i)roperty,  now  sui)])lic(l  with  all  modern 
equipments  and  accessories.  He  formerly 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  raising  -of  both 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


103 


grain  and  stock,  but  now  gives  his  energies 
largely  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate.  His  place  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Murphy 
was  a  member  of  the  Union  League.  He 
could  not  enter  the  army  because  of  im- 
paired eye  sight.  The  Union  League  was 
formed  as  an  opposing  society  to  the  Knights 
of  the  Golden  Circle,  which  advocated  the 
Confederate  cause.  In  his  political  views  in 
early  life  Mr.  Murphy  w^as  a  Whig,  but 
when  the  Republican  party  was  formed  to 
prevent  the  further  extension  of  slavery  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  cast  his  ballot  for  Lin- 
coln. He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  mar- 
tyred president  and  would  often  sit  in  the 
office  of  the  law  firm  of  Yates  &  Smith  in 
Spring-field  and  listen  to  Mr.  Lincoln  as  he 
would  entertain  his  auditors  with  stories. 


HENRY   T.   GARDNER. 

Henry  T.  Gardner,  who  is  now  serving 
as  supervisor  of  Buckhart  township,  was 
born  in  Maury  county,  Tennessee,  on  the 
1 2th  of  J^ine,  1 84 1.  His  father,  Nathan 
Gardner,  was  born  in  the  same  state  in  18 17 
and  was  a  son  of  Briton  Gardner,  an  old 
settler  of  Tennessee.  The  mother  of  our 
suliject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances 
Harris  and  was  a  daughter  of  Richard  Har- 
ris, a  native  of  Virginia.  Her  birth  occurred 
in  1818  and  in  June,  183 1,  in  Tennessee  she 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Gardner. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  there  and  re- 
mained in  Tennessee  until  ten  years  had 
passed,  when,  in  1841,  they  came  to  Illinois, 
taking  up  their  abode  in  Fayette  county, 
where  they  resided  until  1856,  wdien  they 
came  to  Christian  county.  Here  they  estab- 
lished their  home  in  Buckhart  township  and 
Mr.  Gardner  continued  to  engage  in  farm- 


ing up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred on  the  22d  of  January,  1889,  his  wife 
surviving  him  until  July  3,  1896. 

Henry  T.  Gardner  is  the  third  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  four  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet 
living.  When  he  was  an  infant  bis  parents 
came  to  Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  he 
attained  his  majority.  He  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  acquired 
a  good  knowledge  of  the  branches  of  learn- 
ing which  fit  one  for  the  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties  of  business  life.  His  train- 
ing at  farm  work  was  received  fiom  his 
father  and  he  early  learned  the  value  of  in- 
dustry and  perseverance  in  the  active  affairs 
of  life. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  married  in  August, 
1864,  to  Miss  Clarinda  Doak,  who,  how- 
ever, died  the  same  year.  He  was  again 
married  July  18,  1866,  to  Miss  Harriet 
Ward,  a  native  of  Macon  county,  Illinois, 
and  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Ward,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  that  county.  Unto  them  have 
been  born  three  sons :  William,  born  April 
19,  1867;  Louis,  March  5,  1869;  and  Frank- 
lin, June  15,  1 87 1.  The  former  married 
Ada  Whitmer  of  this  county  and  they  have 
two  children — Russell  R.  and  Orelia  Al- 
berta. Louis  married  Etta  Young  of  Tay- 
lorville,  and  their  children  are  Mervel  L. 
and  Ural  H.  Franklin  married  Grace  Hed- 
den,  of  Buckhart  township,  and  they  have  a 
little  daughter,  Nola  Gladys. 

Mr.  Gardner  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  continued  its  cultivation 
until  1897,  when  he  removed  to  Edinburg, 
while  his  sons  now  carry  on  the  farm.  Their 
main  products  are  corn  and  hay  but  they 
also  feed  cattle  for  the  market.  The  farm 
has  always  been  a  very  productive  one,  and 
from  its  cultivation  Mr.  Gardner  derived  the 
competence  which  now  enables  him  to  enjoy 


164 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


rest  from  further  active  lal)or  in  the  hne  of 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  Democrat,  never  faltering  in  his  al- 
legiance to  the  party  and  its  principles  and 
in  various  public  ofTices  he  has  served,  being 
elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  For  fifteen 
years  he  was  road  commissioner.  On  the 
I  St  of  January,  1903,  he  was  appointed  to 
fill  the  position  of  supervisor  left  vacant  by 
Henry  Minnis,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
state  legislature.  In  April  of  the  same  year 
Mr.  Gardner  was  elected  supervisor  and  is 
now  serving  in  that  capacity,  being  most 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  du- 
ties. For  twelve  years  he  has  been  the  agent 
for  the  Mosquito  Township  Mutual  Fire  & 
Lightning  Insurance  Company.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  Blueville  Lodge  No. 
647,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Royal  Arch  Chapter  No.  102,  in  Taylorville, 
while  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  Edinburg 
Lodge  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
They  also  hold  membership  with  the  Bethel 
Baptist  church  and  their  influence  is  strong 
on  the  side  of  right,  justice  and  truth.  In 
all  life's  relations  and  under  all  circum- 
stances Mr.  Gardner  has  been  found  true  to 
manly  principles  and  he  stands  to-day  an 
excellent  example  of  the  highest  type  of  our 
American  manhood. 


0 


ERVEL   W.    HIGHT. 

Throughout  his  entire  business  career 
Ervel  W.  Hight  has  been  connected  with  the 
banking  interests  of  Christian  county  and 
is  to-day  the  ef^cient  and  jwpular  cashier  of 
the  Illinois  State  Bank  of  Assumption,  of 
which  he  is  one  of  the  leading  stockholders. 
He  entered  business  life  as  an  employe  in 
his  uncle's  establishment,  having  no  spccral 
advantages  because  of  his  kinshi]) ;  on  the 
contrary  winning  his  advancement  because 


f  liis  close  application,  ready  adaptability 
and  earnest  purpose.  He  has  Imilt  up  a 
reputation  that  has  made  his  name  a 
synonym  for  integrity  and  ])robity  in  the 
business  world,  while  the  substantiality  of 
the  institution  with  which  he  is  connected  is 
everywhere  acknowledged  in  banking  cir- 
cles, the  enterprise  having  made  a  most  cred- 
itable record  throughout  the  twenty  years 
of  its  existence. 

The  Hight  family  has  long  l)een  a  prom- 
inent and  influential  one  in  ])ul)hc  life  and 
business  circles  in  this  i)art  of  the  state.  R. 
W.  Hight.  father  of  our  subject,  is  one  of  a 
family  of  five  l)rothers,  three  of  whom  are 
living  in  the  village  of  Macon — Robert 
Hight  being  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
His  brothers,  J.  L.  and  William,  are  both 
retired.  Another  brother,  B.  F.,  the  organ- 
izer of  the  first  bank  of  Assumption,  died 
December  18,  1899,  and  J.  R.  Hight  died 
in  Decatur  in  1903.  All  became  well-to-do 
citizens  and  reared  large  families.  The  resi- 
dence of  Robert  W.  Hight  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  Macon  county,  Illinois.  He  is  a 
native  of  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia,  as  is 
his  wife  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mar- 
tha J.  Wonroe.  In  their  family  were  six 
children. 

Ervel  W.  Hight,  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  and  the  eldest  son,  was  b<3rn,  reared 
and  educated  in  Macon  county,  save  that  he 
completed  his  studies  by  a  commercial  course 
in  the  Springfield  Business  College,  of 
Springfield,  Illinois.  On  the  15th  of  De- 
cember, 1888,  he  entered  the  employ  of  his 
uncle,  B.  F.  Hight,  who  was  associated  with 
S.  D.  Moore  in  a  ])rivate  banking  concern, 
the  first  enterprise  of  the  kind  in  Assump- 
tion. He  began  work  as  a  bookkeeper  at  a 
salary  of  one  dollar  per  day,  but  gradually 
he  was  advanced  as  he  mastered  the  busi- 
ness.     He  is  to-day   the  oldest  banker,   in 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


165 


years  of  continuous  service,  in  Assumption, 
and  has  made  a  record  which  reflects  credit 
"■  upon  the  banking  circles  of  the  state.  The 
Bank  of  Assumption  began  business  in  the 
Chestnut  street  building  now  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  W.  T.  Wallace  as  a  music  store. 
This  was  erected  l>y  the  banking  firm  and 
was  occupied  by  them  until  1889.  In  the 
meantime  the  site  of  the  present  building 
was  purchased  from  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  and  a  new  two-story 
business  block  was  erected,  into  which  the 
business  was  moved.  This  building  was  oc- 
cupied by  the  bank  for  more  than  ten  years, 
or  until  January  i,  1900,  when  it  was  de- 
-  stroyed  by  fire.  It  was  quickly  succeeded 
by  the  present  handsome  structure,  one  of 
the  most  commodious  and  best  equipped 
modern  d^ank  buildings  in  central  Illinois. 
It  has  large  vault  space,  also  a  safety  deposit 
vault  with  a  large  number  of  boxes  for  the 
use  of  private  individuals.  The  bank  was 
reorganized  on  the  ist  of  July,  1897,  under 
the  name  of  the  Illinois  State  Bank,  with 
B.  F.  Hight  as  president ;  D.  Lacharite,  vice- 
president ;  E.  W.  Hight,  cashier;  and  J.  A. 
Lacharite,  assistant  cashier.  At  the  death 
of  B.  F.  Hight,  D.  Lacharite  succeeded  to 
the  presidency  and  R.  W.  Hight  became 
vicepresident.  He  retained  that  position, 
however,  only  until  January,  1900,  when  he 
retired  and  was  succeeded  by  Wade  F.  John- 
son, the  present  incumbent,  one  of  the 
wealthy  farmers  of  Assumption  township. 

The  deposits  of  the  bank  now  amount  to 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  and 
are  continually  increasing,  while  the  surplus 
is  more  than  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 
The  institution  is  thus  placed  in  the  rank  of 
the  most  prosperous  banking  concerns  in  the 
state  and  now  ranks  seventh.  From  the  day 
when  B.  F.  Hight  and  S.  D.  Moore  opened 
a  bank  in  Assumption  down  to  the  present 


time  it  has  enjoyed  an  era  of  unbroken  pros- 
perity and  has  the  entire  confidence  and 
trust  of  the  public.  It  issues  letters  of  credit 
which  are  honored  throughout  the  world 
and  the  citizens  of  Assumption  are  justly 
proud  of  this  institution. 

Mr.  Hight  is  not  only  one  of  the  largest 
stockholders  of  the  bank,  but  is  also  inter- 
ested in  many  other  business  enterprises  and 
is  a  wide-awake,  energetic  and  thorough- 
going business  man.  As  a  citizen  he  is 
deeply  interested  in  public  progress  and  not 
alone  by  promoting  prosperity  through  busi- 
ness interests,  but  also  in  many  other  ways 
has  he  contributed  to  the  improvement  and 
development  of  Assumption. 

On  the  i6th  of  June,  1893,  Mr.  Hight 
was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Morrison, 
daughter  of  Robert  Morrison,  of  Assump- 
tion, chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  Christian  county  and  one  of  its  leading 
and  influential  citizens.  Mrs.  Hight  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  after 
completing  her  high  school  course  engaged 
in  teaching.  They  now  have  one  child, 
Ervel  Wayne.  Mr.  Hight  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  Camp,  of  which  he  is  now 
serving  as  clerk,  the  Royal  Circle  and  Court 
of  Honor.  Few  men  in  the  county  are  bet- 
ter known  than  is  Ervel  W.  Hight,  and  none 
have  the  regard  of  their  fellowmen  in  a 
higher  degree.  He  has  utilized  his  time  to 
the  best  advantage,  made  the  most  of  his 
opportunities  and  in  business  circles -as  well 
as  in  social  life  has  become  prominent  and 
popular. 


J.  S.  EATON. 

J.  S.  Eaton  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
Christian  county  and  throughout  his  busi- 
ness career  has  been  identified  with  enter- 


lt)6 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


prises  which  have  not  only  proiimicd  his  in- 
dividual success  but  have  alsd  advanced  gen- 
eral pmsperity.  Anunii;  the  most  energetic 
and  public-spirited  citizens  and  business  men 
of  Owaneco  he  is  numljcrcd,  Inr  in  him  arc 
embraced  the  characteristics  of  an  unabating 
industry,  unfaltering  perseverance  and  in- 
flexible probity. 

Mr.  Eaton  was  born  in  Prairieton  town- 
ship, January  22,  1847,  '^"<^  '-^  '^  ^*"^  ^^^  Wi\- 
liam  K.  and  Elizabeth  (Peter)  Eaton.  The 
mother  was  a  direct  descendant  of  James 
Peter,  a  missionary  who  was  sent  to  this 
country  by  John  Wesley  to  i)reach  the  doc- 
trines of  Methodism.  William  K.  Eaton 
came  to  Christian  county  in  1845,  'vlien  it 
was  still  a  frontier  district,  the  work  of  im- 
provement and  development  being  largely  in 
the  future.  He  secured  a  tract  of  land  and 
engaged  in  school  teaching  in  addition  to 
farming,  leading  a  very  active  and  useful 
life.  He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  Prairie- 
ton towaishii)  and  a  man  prominent  and  in- 
fluential in  public  affairs,  aiding  in  the  early 
development  of  the  county  along  lines  that 
have  led  to  its  present  progress.  He  died 
in  1867  and  his  wife,  long  surviving  him, 
passed  away  in  the  year  1900. 

Tn  the  district  school  of  the  neighborhood 
J.  S.  Eaton  pursued  his  education  and 
through  the  summer  months  he  worked  en 
the  home  farm,  early  becoming  familiar  with 
all  the  duties  and  laljors  that  fall  to  the  lot 
of  the  agriculturist.  W'lien  he  had  com- 
pleted his  studies  his  entire  attention  was 
given  to  the  farm  w^ork  and  he  continued 
the  operation  of  the  old  homestead  with  ex- 
cellent success  until  1901,  when  he  came  to 
Ow-aneco  and  established  the  Eaton  Broth- 
ers' Bank,  a  private  banking  institution  w^ith 
which  he  is  actively  connected,  conducting  it 
along  lines  that  awaken  public  confidence 
and  therefore  secure  the  public  patronage. 


He  is  (juick  to  see  the  Inisiness  needs  and 
possibilities  and  his  enterprise  has  been  of 
marked  value  to  the  community.  He  is  now 
interested  in  the  Eaton  Telephone  Company, 
afffjrding  telephonic  communication  with 
surrounding  towns  as  well  as  with  the  dif- 
ferent homes  of  the  city.  He  also  has  val- 
uable realty  holdings,  including  part  of  the 
old  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  in  Prairieton  township  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Macon  county.  He 
l)uilt  a  nice  brick  two-story  building,  in 
which  his  bank  is  located,  and  also  erected 
a  fine  modern  residence  of  nine  rooms,  sup- 
plied with  a  bath  room,  heating  plant  and 
a  gas  plant  for  illuminating  purposes.  It 
is  a  most  attractive  residence  and  would  be 
a  credit  to  a  city  of  much  greater  size. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1903,  Mr.  Eaton 
w-as  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Maggie 
Large,  a  daughter  of  Andrew^  Barrett,  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Christian  county. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eaton  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he  be- 
longs to  Owaneco  Lodge.  No.  623,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  is  very  loyal  to  its  teachings  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  representa- 
tives of  the  craft  in  his  town.  His  public- 
spirited  interest  in  the  general  welfare,  his 
honorable  business  record  and  his  deference 
for  the  opinions  of  others,  combine  to  make 
him  a  popular  citizen  of  Christian  county. 


ROBERT    W.    ORR. 

For  twenty-one  years  Professor  Robert 
\\\  Orr  was  the  county  superintendent  of 
schools  in  Christian  county  and  ranked  w^ith 
the  leading  educators  in  the  state.  His  in- 
terest in  his  work  was  deep,  sincere,  zealous 
and  unabaling  and  the  present  splendid 
school  system  of  the  county  is  a  monument 
to  him,   more  enduring  than  any  tablet  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


167 


granite  could  be.  His  lal^ors  were  progres- 
sive, and  practical  in  character  and  proved 
of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  county.  Dur- 
ing his  educational  career  he  resided  in  Tay- 
lorville.  True  to  every  puljlic  and  private 
trust  reposed  in  him,  he  led  an  honorable, 
upright  and  useful  life  and  his  memory  is 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  many  who  knew 
him  and  benefited  by  his  efforts  for  the  in- 
tellectual development  of  the  county. 

Professor  Orr  was  born  in  St.  Clairsville, 
Ohio,  September  30,  1833,  and  was  the  eld- 
est child  of  Andrew  and  Ann  (McNary) 
Orr,  who  were  natives  of  eastern  Ohio.  In 
1854  the  family  left  that  state  and  became 
early  settlers  of  Christian  county,  Illinois, 
settling  on  Buckeye  prairie  in  Locust  town- 
ship, wdiere  the  father  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
two  years  later  when  he  was  fifty-seven 
years  of  age.  He  lived  a  quiet,  unassuming 
life  and  had  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 
His  wife  spent  the  last  ten  years  of  her  life 
in  Pana,  Illinois,  and  died  in  1882,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  By  the  death  of  her 
husband  she  was  left  with  the  care  and  sup- 
port of  their  nine  children,  but  though  it 
was  a  hard  struggle  to  provide  for  them  she 
nobly  took  up  her  burden  discharging  it  to 
the  best  of  her  ability.  Well  was  she  worthy 
the  filial  love  and  devotion  given  her  by  her 
sons  and  daughters.  The  members  of  her 
family  were  :  Margaret  I.,  the  wile  of  Henry 
Kirk;  Mary  J.,  the  widow  of  G.  W.  Turn- 
ham,  of  Springfield,  Illinois;  John,  of  Pana; 
Thomas  A.,  of  Mancos,  Colorado;  Andrew 
J.,  of  Warren,  Ohio;  Kate  M.,  who  is  living 
in  Denver,  Colorado;  Samuel,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty  years ;  and  Hugh,  w1io  was 
a  soldier  of  the  Civil  wdv  and  died  when 
home  on  a  furlough,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  years. 

Professor  Orr  of  this   review   began  his 


education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
state  and  later  attended  tlie  seminary  at 
Bloomingdale,  Ohio,  in  which  he  spent  one 
year.  He  began  teaching  in  Ohio  and  when 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  cau'ie  with  his 
parents  to  Illinois,  assisting  his  father  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm  until  the  bitter's 
death.  He  also  folloAved  teaching  in  this 
state  and  successfully  carried  on  the  work 
of  the  schoolroom  until  the  time  of  his  en- 
listment in  the  Union  army,  in  the  Civil  war, 
on  the  14th  of  August,  1862.  He  joined 
Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth 
Illinois  Infantry  and  on  the  organization  of 
the  company  at  Edinburg  was  elected  or- 
derly sergeant.  The  regiment  went  into 
camp  at  Taylorville,  later  was  sent  to  Camp 
Butler  and  in  October  of  that  year  joined  . 
the  army  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  the 
troops  went  into  winter  quarters.  The  One 
Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  joined 
Grant's  forces  and  jjarticipated  in  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg  and  the  battles  of  Champion 
Hills  and  Black  River  Bridge.  After  the 
surrender  of  Vicksburg  the  troops  proceeded 
to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  thence  to  New 
Orleans.  While  at  New  Orleans  there  came 
an  order  for  Professor  Orr  to  return  to 
Spring'field  on  recruiting"  service  and  there 
he  remained  until  May,  1864.  On  the  ist 
of  March  of  that  year  he  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  and  subsequently  command- 
ed his  company  as  captain.  During  his 
absence  in  Springfield  many  of  his  company 
were  killed  or  captured  at  Sabine  Cross 
Roads,  Texas,  the  regiment  losing  so  heav- 
ily that  it  was  divided  into  three  divisions. 
Captain  Orr  being"  given  command  of  Com- 
panies A,  F  and  D.  In  February,  1865,  the 
regiment  was  consolidated  with  the  Sev- 
enty-seventh Illinois  Infantry,  under  which 
consolidation  Captain  Orr  was  mustered  out 
of  service. 


1G8 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Returnino-  to  Illimiis  he  resumed  his  work 
in  the  schooh-oom  and  successively  taught  in 
the  schools  of  Sharpsburg,  Owaneco  and 
Tayl(»r\ille,  having  charge  of  the  west  side 
sch(X)ls  of  this  city  for  three  years.  He  then 
returned  to  his  farm  in  Locust  township  and 
while  there  residing  was  elected  county  su- 
perintendent of  schools  in  the  fall  of  1872. 
filling  the  office  for  nine  years.  He  then 
retired  from  the  office  and  after  an  interval 
of  four  years  he  again  spent  one  year  on 
the  farm,  following  which  he  was  once  more 
elected  to  the  position  of  county  superin- 
tendent. In  1890  he  was  again  chosen  and 
by  re-election  was  continued  in  the  position 
until  his  incumbency  covered  a  period  of 
twenty-one  years.  The  cause  of  education 
indeed  found  in  him  a  warm  friend.  With 
a  just  appreciation  of  its  value  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  life's  responsibilities,  he  made  it  his 
constant  aim  to  so  improve  the  schools  that 
the  instruction  would  be  of  the  greatest  pos- 
sible benefit  to  the  young.  He  was  con- 
tinually ]iromoting  the  standard  of  the 
schools  until  Christian  county  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud  of  her  educational  sys- 
tem, which  is  most  thorough,  practical  and 
beneficial. 

Professor  Orr  was  married  July  13,  187 1, 
to  Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Shumway,  the  widow 
of  Z.  P.  Shumway,  of  Taylorville.  She  was 
born  in  Connecticut  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Harriet  E.  Pray,  1)eing  a  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Paris  Pray,  who  came  here  on 
a  ministerial  mission  and  about  1858  or- 
ganized the  Taylorville  Baptist  church,  of 
which  he  was  the  pastor  for  many  years. 
By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Orr  had  a  daugh- 
ter, Lou  A.  Shumway,  now  a  teacher  in  the 
public  school.  Unto  the  Professor  and  his 
wife  were  born  four  children :  Lillie,  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Zimmerman ;  Daisy,  the 
wife  of  h'rank  Wheeler;  Prank  W.,  who  is 


engaged  In  tlie  mail  service;  and  Charles  R.. 
of  Taylorville. 

Professor  Orr  was  reared  in  the  faith  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  church  but  became 
a  member  of  tlie  Baptist  church,  in  which 
he  served  as  a  deacon,  while  in  the  church 
work  he  took  an  actixe  and  helpful  part.  He 
was  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  having  been 
initiated  into  the  blue  lodge  in  Taylorville 
in  1867,  and  he  also  belonged  to  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  He  voted  with  the 
Democracy  but  was  extremely  popular 
among  the  Republicans,  numbering  many  of 
his  warmest  friends  among  the  representa- 
tives of  the  latter  party.  He  passed  away  in 
Taylorville,  March  26,  1903,  and  high  trib- 
ute of  respect  was  paid  to  his  memory,  while 
resolutions  were  passed  by  the  teachers  of 
the  city  and  county  as  well  as  by  the  fra- 
ternal organizations  w'ith  which  he  had  been 
connected.  He  was  a  man  whom  to  know 
was  to  respect  and  honor.  His  broad  hu- 
manitarian principles  were  manifest  in  his 
devotion  to  the  general  good,  whether  as  a 
soldier  upon  the  field  of  battle,  a  private  citi- 
zen or  as  the  official  in  charge  of  the  educa- 
tional interests  of  the  county.  His  name 
stands  as  a  synonym  of  all  that  w'as  honor- 
able in  his  relations  with  his  fellow'-men  and 
thus  his  memory  is  cherished  by  those  who 
knew  him.  and  his  acquaintance  was  ex- 
tremely wide. 


YOUNG  B.  CLARK. 

To  the  Taylorville  Courier  we  are  indebt- 
ed for  the  following  brief  sketch  of  Young 
P>.  Clark,  who  was  one  of  Christian  county's 
most  honored  pioneers  and  highly  esteemed 
citizens. 

Tn  the  death  of  Y.  B.  Clark,  of  Clarks- 
dale,  which  sad  event  occurred  at  the  late 
residence    Thursday    morning.    January    5, 


Y  B.CLARK 


x< 


■,'.  J« 


i 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


171 


1899,  at  8:05,  Christian  county  suffered 
llie  loss  of  one  of  its  most  widely  known 
citizens — a  man  of  uni(|ue  though  remark- 
ably strong  personality.  He  was  one  of  the 
county's  earliest  settlers  and  from  the  time 
he  came  here  until  his  fatal  sickness  over- 
took him  he  stood  second  to  no  man  in  the 
exertion  of  indi\-idual  force  as  applied  to 
material  advancement  of  humanitarian  re- 
sponsibility. His  business  sense  and  capac- 
ity were  remarkable.  This  trait  in  his  char- 
acter was  apparent  to  all  with  wdiom  he 
came  in  contact.  His  grasp  of  affairs,  his 
keen  insight  into  men  and  things,  his  virile 
intellect  and  great  physical  powder  attracted 
the  attention  and  admiration  of  his  fellows, 
and  the  strict  sense  of  justice  which  con- 
trolled all  his  actions  won  him  their  respect 
and  confidence.  A  man  of  great  determina- 
tion of  purpose  he  was  persistent  and  even 
aggressive  in  his  opinions,  but  in  all  the  re- 
lations of  life  he  strove  earnestly  for  the 
right,  never  wilfully  wronging  any  man. 
The  philanthropic  side  of  his  character  was 
well  developed  and  probably  no  man  whp 
ever  lived  in  the  county  extended  more  char- 
ity to  the  poor  or  more  assistance  to  the 
struggling  unfortunate.  He  was  as  widely 
known  for  his  beneficencies  as  for  his  great 
business  ability.  His  purse  was  ever  open 
to  the  needy  and  his  practical  wisdom  at 
the  disposal  of  any  one  who  sought  it.  A 
vital  force — material  and  philanthropic — 
went  out  to  the  community  with  the  death 
of  Boley  Clark.  One  of  the  county's  great 
characters  has  passed  away. 

His  family  was  a  remarkable  one.  His 
great-grandfather,  Bolin  Clark,  was  killed 
by  the  Indians,  probably  in  North  Carolina, 
before  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  left  six 
sons,  all  of  whom  served  with  General  Na- 
thaniel Greene  in  the  southern  campaign. 
Thev  were  in  Greene's  retreat  before  Corn- 


wallis  and  two  of  them  were  killed  in  the 
memorable  battle  of  Guilford  Court  House. 
The  other  four  survived  the  war  and  drew 
pensions  as  Revolutionary  soldiers.  One  of 
these  sons  was  Joseph  Clark,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject. 

Y.  B.  Clark  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
Kentucky,  September  9,  182 1,  and  was  mar- 
ried there  November  2,  1843,  to  Tabitha  W. 
Hardy.  Shortly  after  his  marriage  he  went 
to  Arkansas  and  from  there,  in  September, 
1845,  1"'^  came  to  Christian  county,  Illinois, 
entering  forty  acres  of  land  a  half  mile  east 
of  Clarksdale.  His  w^as  the  first  house  built 
on  the  prairie,  the  settlers  of  that  period 
building  in  the  timber  or  close  to  it.  His  dis- 
play of  remarkable  business  ability  began  on 
this  forty  acres.  Reverses  came  of  course  but 
his  courage  and  energy  readily  overcame 
all  obstacles  and  at  his  death  he  owned  about 
sixteen  hundred  acres  of  land  and  a  large 
amount  of  personal  property.  From  1845 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  a  period  of  fifty- 
three  years,  he  lived  within  a  mile  of  his 
first  habitation.  He  laid  out  Clarksdale  and 
built  the  depot  there  and  gave  it  with  its 
ground  to  the  Wabash  Company. 

By  his  first  marriage  ten  children  were 
born,  three  of  wdiom  are  living,  as  follows: 
Mrs.  Ann  America  Gladish,  of  Kansas  City; 
C.  A.  Clark,  of  Taylorville;  and  Mrs.  Lou 
C.  Caldwell,  of  Clarksdale.  His  first  wife 
died  September  21,  1859,  and  on  the  nth 
of  March,  i860,  he  married  her  sister,  Ellen 
A.  Hardy.  One  child  was  born  of  this  union 
but  died  at  the  age  of  one  year.  His  second 
wife  died  May  22,  1861,  and  on  May  29, 
1862,  he  married  Melinda  M.  Anderson,  of 
this  county,  by  w^hom  he  had  five  children, 
but  only  one  of  them,  James  T.  Clark,  of 
Clarksdale,  is  now  living.  His  third  wife 
died  in  September,  1871,  and  on  October 
28.  1873.  he  married  Elizabeth  S.  McGinnis, 


172 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


of  Sancamon  coiintv.  Three  cliildren  were 
born  of  this  union,  as  f(»llo\vs:  I  lenr}'  T. 
Clark,  Sallic  Clark  and  Inez  Clark,  all  of 
Avliom  are  at  home  with  their  mother. 

Mr.  Clark's  illness  was  of  ten  days'  dura- 
tion. Up  to  Tuesday  eve  his  mind  was  clear 
but  he  suffered  a  good  deal  and  an  opiate 
was  given  him  to  induce  sleep.  lie  never 
woke  to  consciousness  from  that  sleep.  His 
lungs  filled  and  hardened  and  at  8:05  o'clock 
he  breathed  his  last. 


J.  J.  CALDWELL. 

j.  J.  Caldwell  a  well  known  and  highly 
esteemed  citizen  of  Clarksdale.  was  born  in 
Vinton.  Iowa,  on  the  23d  of  October,  i860, 
and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Cald- 
well, also  natives  of  that  state,  where  the 
mother  continues  to  make  her  home.  The 
father  died  in  1900.  Our  subject  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Iowa  and  on  starting  cut 
in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
went  to  Cedar  Rapids  and  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business,  having  charge  of  the  North- 
western Hotel  at  that  place  until  1891.  He 
then  went  to  Quincy.  Illinois,  and  conducted 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
eating  house  for  eight  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  came  to  Taylorville  and  car- 
ried on  the  Antlers  Hotel  for  one  year.  At 
present  he  is  not  actively  engaged  in  any 
business  but  is  living  on  his  farm,  which  is 
a  valuable  tract  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  in  Bear  Creek  township  near  Clarks- 
dale, his  home  being  in  the  village  wdiere  he 
owns  a  nice  residence. 

On  the  2'nd  of  February,  1884,  Mr.  Cald- 
well was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Lou  C. 
Moffat,  a  daughter  of  Young  B.  Clark, 
whose  sketch  appears  on  another  page  of 
this  volume.  Having  no  children  of  their 
own  they  adopted  a  nephew,  Roy  Ed  O'Neil, 


a  son  of  Robert  K.  and  Mildred  O'Neil,  both 
of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Roy  is  now  a 
tclegraj)!!  operator.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Caldwell  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  are  people  of  prominence 
in  the  comnumity  wdiere  they  reside. 


C.    D.    WINKLEPLECK. 

After  years  of  active  labor,  mostly  de- 
voted to  agricultural  pursuits,  C.  D.  Winkle- 
pleck  is  now  living  a  retired  life  on  his  farm 
on  section  11,  Locust  township.  He  was 
born  on  the  22d  of  March,  1838,  in  Ohio,  of 
which  state  his  parents,  James  and  Barbara 
( Resler)  Winklepleck,  were  also  natives. 
The  mother  died  in  1848,  and  the  father, 
who  long  survived  her,  passed  away  in  1883. 
The  first  of  the  Winklepleck  family  to  come 
to  America  was  a  native  of  Germany  who 
crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1732  and  located  in 
Pennsylvania.  Our  subject's  paternal  grand- 
father. Christian  Winklepleck,  was  born  in 
that  state  and  from  there  removed  to  Ohio 
in  1806.  There  he  continued  to  make  his 
home   until    his    death,    wdiich    occurred    in 

1857- 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity  C.  D.  Winkle- 

])leck  was  reared  and  educated  and  after 
leaving  school  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
he  commenced  learning  the  miller's  trade, 
which-  he  follow'ed  for  twelve  years.  He 
then  rented  a  farm  in  Ohio  and  operated  the 
same  for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
period  he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Christian  county,  purchasing  at  that  time 
eighty  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  Locust 
township.  He  has  since  bought  an  adjoin- 
ing eighty-acre  tract  and  to-day  has  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  well 
improved  with  good  buildings.  Although 
he  continues  to  reside  upon  his  farm  he  has 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


178 


retired  from  its  active  management  and  is 
now  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest. 

Mr.  Winklepleck  was  married  in  1863  to 
Miss  Sarah  Hehvig,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Helwig.  of  Ohio,  and  to  them  were  born 
six  children,  as  follows :  Carrie,  at  home 
with  her  father;  Horace,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  years ;  Alice,  wife  of  Charles 
Dorr,  who  is  living  on  our  subject's  farm; 
Ida.  wife  of  Herman  Schmidt,  a  farmer  of 
Christian  county;  Bertha,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  tw^o  years;  and  Bird,  at  home.  Mr. 
Winklepleck  has  been  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  estimable  wife,  who  died  on 
the  5th  of  February,  1902.  She  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  to  which  her  husband  and  children 
also  belong.  Since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  Mr.  Win- 
klepleck has  supported  the  Republican  party 
and  its  principles.  Since  1873  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  Christian  county  and  in  that 
time  he  has  made  a  host  of  warm  friends 
who  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling 
worth. 


HENRY  J.   YARNELL. 

Henry  J.  Yarnell,  one  of  the  representa- 
tive and  prominent  citizens  of  Mosquito 
township,  his  home  being  on  section  22,  is 
a  native  of  Illinois,  born  near  Carlinville, 
Macoupin  county,  January  8,  1844,  and  is 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children,  whose  parents  were  Isaac  A. 
and  Rebecca  B.  (Bonham)  Yarnell.  His 
father  was  born  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee, 
on  the  13th  of  December,  1810,  and  came  to 
Illinois  in  1833.  It  was  not  until  1867,  how- 
ever, that  he  became  a  resident  of  Christian 
county,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  dying  here  August  7,  1887.  His  wife 
passed   away   in    185 1.      Her  parent?  were 


Benjamin  and  Olive  Bonham.  Our  sub- 
ject's paternal  grandfather  was  Mordecai 
Yarnell,  who  was  born  April  17,  1767,  and 
died  July  30,  1846.  The  great-grandfather 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 

As  soon  as  he  had  attained  a  sufficient  age 
Henry  J.  Yarnell  entered  the  public  schools 
of  this  state,  where  he  pursued  his  studies 
until  eighteen  years  of  age.  By  that  time 
the  country  had  become  involved  in  civil  war 
and  he  resolved  to  strike  a  blow  in  defense 
of  the  Union.  Accordingly  he  enlisted  on 
the  8th  of  September,  1862,  as  a  private  in 
Company  K,  Ninety-first  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  for  three  years.  His  first  service 
was  in  Kentucky  and  he  was  later  taken  pris- 
oner at  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky,  by  John 
Morgan,  December  27,  1862.  He  was  sent 
to  the  parole  camp  at  Benton  Barracks,  St. 
Louis,  where  he  was  exchanged  June  3, 
1863,  and  on  the  7th  of  the  following  July 
went  to  Vicksburg.  On  the  14th  of  August 
they  arrived  in  New  Orleans  and  later  were 
sent  to  Morganza,  Louisiana,  but  afterward 
returned  to  New  Orleans,  where  they  em- 
barked on  transports  for  Texas.  They 
crossed  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  after  a  voy- 
age of  ten  days  landed  at  Brazos,  Santiago 
Island.  They  next  went  up  the  Rio  Grande 
river  to  Brownsville,  Texas,  where  they  re- 
mained for  some  time  and  then  returned  to 
New  Orleans.  About  the  close  of  the  war 
they  were  ordered  to  Mobile,  Alabama.  The 
march  to  that  place  was  a  very  difficult  one 
as  there  were  many  streams  and  swamps  to 
cross  and  the  soldiers  were  forced  to  build- 
ing bridges  and  corduroy  roads  along  the 
way.  They  were  in  an  engagement  near  a 
station  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad, 
which  is  said  to  be  the  last  fight  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  Mr.  Yarnell  w-as  under 
fire  at  Spanish  Fort  for  fourteen  days.  The 
war  having  ended  and  his  services  being  no 


174 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


longer  needed  lie  was  Ikhk  iralil\'  discharged 
on  the  1 2th  of  July,  1865.  and  returned 
home. 

Mr.  'N'arnell  then  attended  a  private 
school  at  Scottville,  Illinois,  Utv  one  term, 
and  for  sixteen  years  thereafter  he  alter- 
nated farming  with  school  teaching,  devot- 
ing the  summer  season  to  the  former  occu- 
pation., while  during  the  winter  months  he 
taught.  Ill  1867  he  came  to  Christian  coun- 
ty and  located  on  his  ])rcsent  farm  in  Mos- 
quito township,  where  he  has  since  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  with  marked  suc- 
cess. 

On  the  4th  of  April.  1872.  I^fr,  Yarnell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jane  A.  Wil- 
kinson, a  daughter  of  Thompson  and  Mary 
Wilkinson,,  who  were  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
coupin county,  Illinois,  and  were  from  Eng- 
land and  Vermont,  respectively.  Our  suh- 
ject  and  his  wife  have  two  children  :  Oscar, 
a  physician  of  Cerro  Gordo,  Illinois,  who  is 
now  pursuing  a  special  course  of  study  in 
the  line  of  his  profession  in  Berlin,  Ger- 
many ;  and  Maud,  who  is  attending  the  1  lome 
school.     The  son  is  now  married. 

Religiously  the  family  hold  memhership 
in  the  Baptist  church  and  socially  Mr.  Yar- 
nell helongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge  No.  682 
and  the  Grand  Army  Post,  hoth  of  Blue 
Mound.  Although  a  stanch  Penuhlican  in 
his  ])olitical  views  he  is  now  servino-  his 
llurd  term  ;is  supervisor  of  Mosquito  town- 
ship, which  is  strongly  Democratic,  a  fact 
that  plainly  indicates  his  popularity  and  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  hy  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. During  his  incumhency  the  court 
house  at  Taylorville  was  completed.  His 
official  duties  have  l)een  most  promptly  and 
faithfully  discharged,  winning  for  him  the 
commendation  of  all  concerned.  No  trust 
reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  betrayed  in  the 


slightest  degree  and  he  well  merits  the  con- 
fidence and  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held. 


WILLIAM  CHAMBERLAIN. 

\\' illiam  Chamberlain  was  one  of  the  most 
respected  and  esteemed  residents  of  Taylor- 
ville and  the  county  owes  much  to  him  for 
what  he  did  in  its  behalf  along  lines  of 
material  upbuilding  and  intellectual  and 
moral  advancement.  As  the  day  with  its 
morning  of  hope  and  promise,  its  noontide 
of  activity,  its  evening  of  completed  and  suc- 
cessful efifort,  ending  in  the  grateful  rest  and 
quiet  of  the  night,  so  A\as  the  life  of  this 
man.  He  left  the  impress  of  his  individual- 
ity upon  pul)lic  thought  and  action  and  the 
world  is  certainly  better  for  his  ha\'ing  lived. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  was  born  on  Christmas 
Day  in  1844  in  Rochester,  Indiana,  and 
died  on  the  ist  of  September,  1903.  His 
residence  in  Taylorx'ille  covered  more  than 
thirty  years.  He  pursued  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  and  spent  his 
boyhood  days  in  his  parents'  home,  remain- 
ing-  there  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the 
Civil  war,  wdien  his  patriotic  spirit  was 
aroused  and  he  joined  the  army,  although 
but  eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  when 
he  donned  the  blue  uniform  of  the  nation. 
He  fought  valiantly  to  protect  his  country's 
Hag  until  the  close  of  the  memorable  struggle 
and  displayed  valor  equal  to  that  of  many 
a  veteran  of  twice  his  years.  After  his  re- 
tiu'n  home  he  determined  to  prepare  for  a 
business  career  and  to  this  end  entered  Bry- 
ant &  vStratton  Business  College  in  Chi- 
cago. There  he  completed  a  regular  course  ' 
and  soon  afterward  was  given  employment 
in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  house  of  John 
V.  Farwell.  A  contemporary  biographer  in 
speaking  of  his  early  business'  experience 
said:     "As  an  evidence  that  Mr.  Chamber- 


/fu^Ou^  QJfaH^^Jioia^ 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


177 


lain  early  in  his  career  displayed  the  traits 
that  afterward  made  him  a  success  in  the 
hiisiness  world — when  A.  G.  Barnes,  of  this 
city,  sent  to  John  V.  Farwell  for  a  'sober, 
industrious  and  capable  young-  man'  to  give 
a  partnership  in  his  dry  goods  house,  Mr. 
Farwell  picked  out  Mr.  Chamberlain  from 
more  than  a  hundred  clerks  and  sent  him  to 
Taylorville.  Taylorville  people  have  seen 
the  success  that  has  attended  the  Chamber- 
lain &  Barnes  dry  goods  house  and  to  Mr. 
Chaml^erlain's  able  management  was  the  suc- 
cess due.  He  certainly  sustained  the  confi- 
dence Mr.  Farwell  reposed  in  him."  In  the 
conduct  of  his  store  he  always  followed  pro- 
gressi\e  methods,  studied  closely  the  wishes 
of  the  general  public  and  endeavored  to 
meet  the  demands  of  his  patrons  in  every 
possible  way.  His  business  methods,  too, 
were  strictly  honorable  and  straightforward. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Taylorville  Coal  Company  and  held  consid- 
eral)le  stock  therein.  Mrs.  Chamber'ain 
worked  with  her  husband  in  the  store  for 
twenty-seven  years,  so  that  its  success  may 
also  be  attributed  tO'  her  earnest  efforts  and 
co-operation. 

It  was  on  the  25th  of  July,  187 1,  that  Mr. 
Chamberlain  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sadie  L.  Phelps  of  Logansport,  Indiana,  a 
daughter  of  Hiram  and  Messina  Phelps. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  her 
mother  of  Kentucky,  wdiile  Mrs  Chamber- 
lain was  born  in  Portsmouth,  Ohio.  She 
was  a  maiden  of  eleven  summers  when  she 
accompanied  her  parents  to  Indiana  and  in 
the  seminary  in  Logansport  she  was  edu- 
cated. By  her  marriage  she  became  the 
mother  of  two  children :  Roy  and  Flossie, 
but  both  died  in  childhood.  Mrs.  Chamber- 
lain has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  social 
and  public  life  in  Taylorville  and  her  in- 
fluence has  been  a  potent  factor  along  lines 


of  intellectual  and  moral  culture.  She  was 
the  first  worthy  maiden  in  the  Eastern  Star 
here  and  she  has  also  been  a  member  of  the 
grand  chapter.  Deeply  interested  in  the 
cause  of  education  and  anxious  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  every  improvement  along  that 
line,  she  made  the  speech  placing  Mrs.  Laura 
B.  Evans  in  nomination  for  the  position  of 
a  trustee  of  the  State  University  at  Cham- 
paign. Her  speech  was  delivered  at  the 
convention  in  Springfield  and  is  spoken  of  as 
one  of  the  most  1)rilliant  oratorical  efforts 
ever  made  by  a  woman  in  Illinois.  At  all 
times  Mrs.  Chamberlain  supplemented  her 
husband's  efforts  along  benevolent  and  moral 
lines  and  they  also  worked  together  in  per- 
fect harmony  as  they  did  in  business  life. 
The  relation  which  existed  between  them 
was  largely  ideal  and  theirs  was  a  most 
happy  union. 

In  matters  pertaining  to  the  public  prog- 
ress and  upbuilding  Mr.  Chamberlain  was 
very  prominent  and  influential.  He  was 
among  those  who  labored  earnestly  and  in- 
defatigably  for  the  establishment  of  the 
water-works  system  and  secured  this  public 
improvement  in  the  face  of  strong  opposi- 
tion. A  co-operant  factor  in  many  meas- 
ures for  the  general  good  Taylorville  owes 
much  of  its  advancement  to  him  and  his  ef- 
forts. In  Masonic  circles  he  was  prominent 
and  honored.  He  belonged  to  the  Royal 
Arch  chapter  in  l^aylorville  and  to  Elwood 
Conimandery,  K.  T.,  at  Springfield.  He  held 
most  of  the  offices  in  the  blue  lodge  and  all 
in  the  chapter,  being  high  priest  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  for  twenty  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  acted  as  marshal  at  every  Ma- 
sonic funeral  held  in  Taylorville.  If  we 
would  investigate  his  life  record,  however, 
and  find  the  real  secret  of  his  worth  and  the 
motive  that  prompted  his  honorable  actions 
we  will  find  it  in  his  religious  faith.     He  was 


178 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  served 
as  one  of  its  deacons.    He  took  a  most  active 
part  in  its  work,  contributed  generously  to 
its   support   and   gave  of  his  time   for   the 
advancement  of  the  cause.     The  church  was 
very  dear  to   his   heart   and   his    Christian 
principles  permeated  all  that  he  did.  shaping 
his  every  relation  with  his  fellow  men.     He 
did  not  regard  religion  as  merely  attendance 
u^wn   church    services   Init    as   a    guide   for 
every-day  life  and  he  closely  followed  the 
golden  rule.     He  won   success  in  business, 
l)ut  he  gained  it  so  honorably  that  the  most 
envious  could  not  grudge  it   to  him.     He 
also  used  it  worthily  and  many  a  needy  one 
has    profited   by   his    benevolent   spirit   and 
kindly  sympathy.      In  speaking  of  his  de- 
mise one  of  the  papers  of  Taylorville  said : 
"The  passing  of  Mr.  Chamberlain  removes  a 
prominent  figure  from  the  business,  church 
and  social  life  of  Taylorville.     He  had  been 
identified  with  Taylorville  and  its  best  in- 
terests  so  long  that   his  departure  will  be 
keenly  regretted  and  his  place  difficult  to  fill. 
Since  coming  here  more  than  thirty  years 
ago  he  had  been  a  leading  factor  in  nearly 
every  movement  that  tended  toward  the  im- 
provement of  the  town,  both  commercially 
and  morally.     Of  excellent   judgment,   en- 
terprising, conscientious  and  charitable — he 
proved  himself  a  valuable  citizen  and  earned 
the  right  to  l^e  esteemed  and  respected  by 
every  one." 


ROBERT   JOHNS. 

Few  men  are  more  prominent  or  more 
widely  known  in  the  enterprising  city  of 
Pana  than  Robert  Johns.  He  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  business  circles  and  his 
success  in  all  his  undertakings  has  been  so 
marked  that  his  methods  are  of  interest  to 
the  commercial  world.  He  is  energetic, 
prompt    and    notably    reliable,    and    tireless 


energy,  keen  perception,  honesty  of  purpose, 
a  genius  for  devising  and  executing  the  right 
thing  at  the  right  time  joined  to  every-day 
common  sense  are  the  chief  characteristics 
of  the  man.  His  success  in  business  from 
the  beginning  of  his  residence  in  Pana  has 
been  uniform  and  rapid  and  he  has  perse- 
vered in  the  ])ursuit  of  a  persistent  purpose 
and  gained  a  most  satisfactory  reward,  being 
now  numlD€red  among  the  capitalists  of 
Christian  county. 

Mr.  Johns  was  born  January  4,  1850,  near 
Greencastle,  Indiana,  a  son  of  Stephen  M. 
and  Sarah  (Parks)  Johns.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  while  his  mother's 
birth  occurred  in  Ohio.  They  were  married 
near  Oxford,  Ohio,  and  the  father  engaged 
in  the  operation  of  a  flour  and  saw  mill  in 
that  state  for  a  time.  He  afterward  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising 
and  in  the  year  1869  he  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Pana  township.  Christian  county. 
He  was,  however,  not  long  permitted  to 
enjoy  his  new  home  for  his  death  occurred 
in  1870.  In  the  family  were  eight  sons  and 
two  daughters  and  all  are  yet  living  with  the 
exception  of  one  son,  whose  health  was  un- 
dermined by  the  arduous  experiences  of  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war. 

Robert  Johns  obtained  his  early  education 
in  Indiana  and  in  the  year  1866  came  to 
Litchfield,  Illinois,  being  at  that  time  a  youth 
of  sixteen  years.  He  was  a  resident  of  In- 
diana at  the  time  of  Morgan's  raid  through 
that  state.  In  the  fall  of  1866  he  resumed 
his  education,  begun  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county,  in  the  old  Lawrence  build- 
ing in  Pana,  and  in  1870-71  he  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  State  University  at  Champaign. 
Lfe  afterward  attended  night  school  in  No- 
komis,  and  thus  gained  a  broad  and  practical 
education  well  fitting  him  to  cope  with  the 
responsible  and  intricate  duties  of  a  business 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


179 


career.  During  a  part  of  his  school  Hfe  he 
was  connected  with  the  himber  business  and 
in  1870  he  and  his  brother  became  pro- 
prietors of  a  kimber  yard  in  Nokomis,  which 
they  conducted  successfully  until  1879,  when 
they  sold  out  to  the  Paddock  Lumber  Com- 
pany. In  1876  their  yard  was  destroyed  by 
tire,  causing  a  loss  of  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  This  disaster  left  them  with  an  in- 
debtedness of  seventeen  thousand  dollars, 
but  with  renewed  energy  and  strong  purpose 
they  set  to  work  tO'  retrieve  their  lost  posses- 
sions and  in  course  of  time  had  their  busi- 
nes  again  upon  a  good  financial  basis.  After 
selling  the  lumber  yard  in  Nokomis  Mr. 
Johns  and  his  brother,  S.  P.  Johns,  became 
proprietors  of  a  similar  enterprise  in  Pana 
and  were  engaged  in  its  management  until 
1 88 1,  wdien  our  subject  purchased  the  inter- 
est of  liis  brother,  who  then  removed  to 
Sedalia,  Missouri,  where  he  is  now  engaged 
in  the  conduct  of  lumber  business  in  connec- 
tion with  his  sons. 

Robert  Johns  continued  in  the  trade  at 
Pana  and  was  also  in  the  management  of  his 
yard  until  1896,  when  he  sold  out  to  the 
Phelps  Lumlier  Company.  In  connection 
with  the  trade  he  had  the  largest  stock  of 
lumber  and  building  materials  in  central  Illi- 
nois and  his  annual  sales  reached  an  ex- 
tensive figure.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had 
become  extensively  interested  in  the  electric 
light  plant  of  Pana  and  eventually  purchased 
the  controlling  interest.  On  his  retirement 
from  the  lumber  business  he  took  charge  of 
tlie  electric  light  plant,  of  which  he  is  now 
the  owner.  This  is  one  of  the  best  ecjuipped 
plants  in  central  Illinois  and  has  a  capacity 
of  eight  thousand  lights.  As  the  years  have 
advanced  and  his  financial  resources  have 
increased  Mr.  Johns  has  also  made  large  in- 
vestments in  real  estate  and  his  holdings 
to-day  are  greater  than  those  of  any  other 


individual  in  Pana.     He  owns  a  number  of 
business  houses  and  dwellings  in  the  city  and 
has  contributed  in  marked  deg'ree  to  the  ma- 
terial  improvement  of  the  city.     When  he 
came  to   Pana   there  were  only  two  brick 
buildings  in  the  town  and  he  hauled  a  part 
of  the  lumber  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  East  schoolhouse.     He  has  been  the  di- 
rect cause  of  building  more  residences  than 
any  other  one  man  in  Pana  and  he  certainly 
deserves  great  credit  for  what  he  has  done 
for  the  city  in  this  direction.     He  built  the 
first  telephone  line  in  this  part  of  the  country 
extending  between   Pana   and   his   sawmill. 
He  is  a  man  of  resolute  purpose  and  unfal- 
tering determination  and  carries  forward  to 
successful    completion    whatever   he   under- 
takes.    The  word  fail  has  no  place  in  his 
vocabulary  and  through  his  unfaltering  per- 
severance and  industry  he  never  fails  to  win 
the  success  which  is  always  the  goal  of  his 
efforts. 

In  1880  Mr.  Johns  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Nora  Ekridge,  a  daughter  of 
Mrs.  Mary  S.  Ekridge,  of  Pana.  Fifteen 
months  later  a  son  was  born  unto  them  and 
both  mother  and  child  died.  In  1890  Mr. 
Johns  was  -again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Augusta  Flemming,  a 
daughter  of  J.  B.  and  Mary  Flemming,  of 
Pana.  They  have  two  daughters :  Ruth 
and  Helen,  aged  twelve  and  four  years  re- 
spectively. 

Mr.  Johns  is  a  Mason  in  his  social  afiilia- 
tions  and  belongs  to  the  Knight  Templar 
commandery  at  Mattoon,  Illinois.  He  also 
holds  membership  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  at  Pana  and  his*  wife  is  connected 
with  the  auxiliary  organization.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  served 
both  as  city  treasurer  and  as  mayor  of  Pana. 
In  matters  pertaining  to  the  general  welfare 
he  is  always  progressive  and  his  efforts  have 


180 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


been  of  marked  value  in  promoting  the  wel- 
fare of  his  city  along  political  as  well  as 
material  lines.  He  find  his  chief  source  of 
recreation  in  fishing  and  hunting,  taking 
o-reat  interest  in  both.  J\Ir.  Johns  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  when  about  thirteen 
years  of  age,  working  for  twelve  dollars  per 
month.  By  the  time  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  had  saved  his  money,  but  this  he 
gave  to  his  father  and  again  started  out  in 
life  empty  handed.  As  has  been  truly  re- 
marked after  all  that  may  be  done  for  a  man 
in  the  way  of  giving  him  early  opportunities 
for  obtaining  the  requirements  which  are 
soueht  in  the  schools  and  in  books  or  the 
advantages  of  wealth,  he  must  essentially 
formulate,  determine  and  give  shape  to  his 
own  character,  and  this  is  what  Mr.  Johns 
has  done.  He  possesses  untiring  energy,  is 
quick  of  perception,  forms  his  plans  readily 
and  is  determined  in  their  execution  and  his 
close  application  to  business  and  his  excel- 
lent management  have  brought  to  him  the 
high  degree  of  prosperity  which  is  to-day 
his. 


WILLIAM  W.  ANDERSON. 

William  W.  Anderson  figured  so  con- 
spicuously and  honorably  in  connection 
with  the  public  interests,  business  activity 
and  substantial  development  of  Christian 
county  for  many  years  that  no  history  of 
this  locality  would  be  complete  without  the 
record  of  his  career.  To  say  of  him  that 
he  arose  from  comparative  obscurity  to  rank 
among  the  most  successful  men  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state  is  a  statement  that  seems 
trite  to  those  familiar  with  his  life,  yet  it 
is  but  just  to  say  in  a  history  that  will  de- 
scend to  future  generations  that  his  busi- 
ness record  was  one  that  any  man  might 
be  proud  to  possess.     P>eginning  at  the  Ixjt- 


tom  round  of  the  ladder  he  steadily  ad- 
vanced step  by  step  until  he  occujjicd  a  posi- 
tion of  trust  and  ])rominence  reached  Iw 
few.  Throughout  his  entire  business  career 
he  was  looked  upon  as  a  model  of  integrity 
and  honor,  never  making  an  engagement 
that  he  did  not  fulfill,  and  standing  as  an 
example  of  what  determination,  combined 
with  the  highest  degree  of  business  integ- 
rity, can  accomplish  for  a  man  of  natural 
ability  and  strength  of  character.  He  v^^as 
respected  by  the  community  at  large  and 
honored  by  his   business  associates. 

A  native  of  Henderson  county,  Kentucky, 
William  W.  Anderson  was  lx)rn  October 
27,  1825,  and  died  in  Taylorville,  on  the 
nth  of  December,  1893.  The  Anderson 
family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction  and  al- 
though the  early  history  of  the  family  in 
America  is  not  definitely  known,  it  is 
thought  that  the  first  representatives  in  Am- 
erica settled  in  Virginia.  Both  the  paternal, 
and  the  maternal  grandfathers  of  our  sub- 
ject were  patriots  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  valiantly  fought  for  the  independence  of 
the  colonies,  while  George  H.  Anderson,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  served  under  General 
Jackson  in  the  war  of  18 12  and  was  present 
at  the  engagement  at  New  Orleans.  Not 
long  after  his  return  from  the  army  he  was 
married  in  Tennessee  to  Miss  Nancy  Mann, 
and  soon  they  removed  to  Henderson  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  where  they  made  their  home 
for  ten  years.  In  1830  they  became  resi- 
dents of  Illinois,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  The  father  developed  his 
land,  made  a  comfortable  home  for  his  fam- 
ily and  took  an  active  part  in  shaping  the 
pioneer  development  of  that  section  of  the 
state.  He  was  honored  with  a  number  of 
local  offices,  for  which  his  ability  well  fitted 
him  and  throughout  the  community  was 
known  as  a  valued  citizen.     He-  died  at  the 


r         ^ 


l^it^ 


^^^^]^^-^2V>i/' 


9.^ 


.\-y 


v^ 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


183 


age  of  sixty-one  years,  and  his  wife  sur- 
vived him  ahout  twelve  years. 

Wilham  W.  Anderson,  the  sixth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  twelve  children,  spent 
his  boyhood  days  on  the  home  farm  and 
early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties 
and  labors  incident  to  the  development  and 
cultivation  of  a  new  farm  in  a  pioneer  dis- 
trict. His  educational  privileges  were  lim- 
ited but  he  spent  some  time  as  a  student  in 
one  of  the  log  schoolhouses  of  Montgomery 
county.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he 
started  out  upon  an  independent  business 
career,  entering  the  employ  of  Judge  Hiram 
Rountree,  of  Hillsboro,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  eight  years,  first  working  on 
the  farm,  then  in  the  stcM'e  and  afterward 
assisting  in  the  office  of  the  circuit  clerk  of 
Montgomery  county. 

While  working  for  the  Judge,  Mr.  An- 
derson also  wooed  and  won  the  daughter  of 
the  household — Miss  Nan  B.  Rountree,  the 
marriage  being  celebrated  in  August,  1850. 
Removing  to  Christian  county  the  following 
year,  Mr.  Anderson  began  farming  about 
four  miles  east  of  Taylorville  but  did  not 
find  this  occupation  as  congenial  as  mer- 
cantile life  had  been,  and  after  three  years 
devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits  he  aban- 
doned the  plow  and  went  to  Taylorville, 
where  he  soon  secured  a  position  as  a  sales- 
man in  the  dry-goods  store  of  Shumway  & 
Cheney.  On  the  death  of  the  junior  part- 
ner, in  January,  1854,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Albert  Satley,  who  later  sold  his  interest  in 
the  store  to  Mr.  Anderson  and  thus  was 
formed  the  firm  of  Shumway  &  Anderson, 
a  connection  that  was  maintained  for  two 
years,  when  Mr.  Anderson  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. His  adaptability  to  the  needs  of  the 
business  was  soon  manifest  and  a  constantly 
growing  trade  demanded  his  care  and  at- 
tention.    His  was  a  general  store  in  which 


he  carried  all  lines  of  goods  demanded  by 
a  city  and  country  trade,  from  farm  imple- 
ments to  the  finest  household  furnishings. 
Not  only  in  times  of  general  prosperity  but 
also  in  the  eras  of  wide-spread  financial 
panic,  did  Mr.  Anderson  conduct  a  profitable 
business,  a  fact  which  demonstrated  his 
keen  foresight,  capable  management,  marked 
enterprise  and  indefatigable  industry.  He 
made  for  himself  a  most  enviable  reputation 
among  the  wholesale  houses  to  which  he 
gave  his  patronage  and  in  Taylorville  and 
throughout  the  surrounding  country  was 
known  for  his  strictly  fair  and  honorable 
methods  in  dealing  with  his  patrons.  After 
fifteen  years  he  sold  an  interest  in  his  busi- 
ness in  order  to  devote  a  part  of  his  time 
and  attention  to  other  lines.  He  was  a 
man  of  resourceful  ability,  quick  to  recog- 
nize and  improve  an  opportunity,  and  his 
judgment  was  rarely,  if  ever,  at  fault  in  an 
estimate  of  business  opening  or  trade  trans- 
action. 

It  was  in  1871  that  he  established  the 
banking  house  of  W.  W.  Anderson  &  Com- 
pany, his  partner  in  the  enterprise  being  D. 
D.  Shumway;  For  twelve  years  this  asso- 
ciatiou  was  pleasantly  continued  and  then 
Mr.  Shumway  retired  and  was  succeeded  by 
Hiram  R.  Anderson.  He  was  a  young  man 
of  brilliant  mind,  a  close  student  and  a 
general  favorite  with  the  patrons  of  the 
bank,  but  death  claimed  him  after  a  short 
time.  Mr.  Anderson  continued  at  the  head 
of  the  institution  and  associated  with  him 
his  son,  Fred  W.  Anderson.  The  safe  con- 
servative policy  which  he  inaugurated  has 
always  lieen  followed.  He  soon  placed  the 
bank  upon  a  sul)Stantial  foundation  and  it 
has  long  ranked  as  one  of  the  most  reliable 
financial  institutions  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  In  banking  circles,  as  in  all  other 
relations   of   life,    Mr.    Anderson    sustained 


184: 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


an  unassailable  rciJUtation  because  of  his 
Imsiness  capacity  and  unswerving  proljity. 
Intricate  Inisiness  ]>ropositions  he  seemed  to 
comprehend  at  a  glance  and  lie  mastered 
everything  he  undertook,  carrying  forward 
to  successful  completion  every  business  in- 
terest which  engaged  his  attention.  He 
made  judicious  investments  in  property  from 
time  to  time  until  he  became  the  possessor 
of  valuable  interests. 

Only  four  years  after  bis  marriage  ]\Ir. 
Anderson  was  called  u])on  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  his  first  wife.  Tie  did  not  mairy 
again  until  i860,  when  he  wedded  Mrs. 
Martha  L.  Wright,  the  w' idow  of  Dr.  Wright 
of  Carlinville.  They  travelled  life's  journey 
happily  together  for  about  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  then  Mrs.  Anderson  was  called 
to  her  final  rest,  .\ugust  2,  1884,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-four  years.  She  was  a  woman  of 
estimable  character  and  proved  a  valuable 
companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey. 
About  nine  years  passed  and  then,  on  the 
nth  of  December.  ^S<^)^,.  he,  too.  was  called 
from  this  life. 

For  many  years  he  w^as  very  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  aside  from  his  business  in- 
terests. He  served  for  two  years  as  the 
president  of  the  board  of  supervisors.  He 
had  firm  belief  in  the  future  of  Taylorville, 
not  only  as  the  county  seat  and  because  of 
its  extensive  country  trade,  but  as  a  coal 
producing  point,  and  one  seemingly  des- 
tined to  become  an  important  manufacturing 
center.  He  invested  largely  in  business 
property  and  was  the  owner  of  one  half  of 
the  frontage  on  the  south  side  of  the  square. 
He  always  advocated  the  advantages  of  rail- 
road facilities  and  was  one  of  the  promoters 
and  at  one  time  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  now  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio,  which  passes  through  this 
county,  forming  direct  connection  with  the 


cast.  Every  measure  for  the  advancement 
of  Ta)-lorville  along  material,  social  and  in- 
tellectual lines  received  his  endorsement  and 
encouragement,  and  to  him  in  no  liiilc  degree 
is  due  the  present  advantages  which  the  city 
enjoys  in  ifs  excellent  system  of  electric 
lights,  its  waterworks  and  its  ample  hotel 
accommodation.  His  means,  ad\ice  and  en- 
ergy were  often  called  upon  and  freely  given 
when  the  extensive  coal  fields  were  being 
developed  and  thus  a  permanent  l)asis  of 
growth  and  prosperity  was  assured  the  city. 
Prospering  to  an  unusual  degree  he  be- 
came blessed  with  fimple  means,  wdiich  he 
liberally  devoted  to  progressive  uses.  A 
member  and  trustee  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  he  was  a  ready  supporter  of 
church  interests.  A  Royal  Arch  Mason,  he 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  lirethren  of 
the  craft.  Politically  he  was  a  life-long 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  pre- 
ferred the  activities  of  business  life  to  those 
of  the  ]iolitical  stage.  The  strong  traits  of 
his  character  were  such  as  endeared  him 
to  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He 
was  the  soul  of  honor  and  integrity  in  busi- 
ness life,  was  a  man  of  broad  humanitarian 
principles,  and  the  deserving  poor  always 
found  in  him  a  friend.  He  gave  generously 
for  the  public  good,  was  faithful  in  friend- 
ship, devoted  to  his  family  and  stood  as  a 
high  type  of  our  chivalrous  American  man- 
hood. 


FRED    F.    WEISER. 

Fred  l*".  Weiser,  who  for  eighteen  years 
has  been  connected  w'th  the  i^rain  trade  in 
Stonington,  is  a  well  known,  enterprising 
and  progressive  business  man.  and.  starting 
out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  thnteen 
years,  he  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his 
own  resources,  gaining  all  that  he  now  pos- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


185 


sesses  through  his  own  energy  and  1)usiness 
ability. 

Mr.  Weiser  was  born  in  Cass  county,  lUi- 
nois,  in  1855.  a  son  of  PhiHp  and  Margaret 
Weiser,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many. After  their  emigration  to  the  United 
States  the  father  engaged  in  farming  in  Cass 
county,  Ilhnois,  and  in  1870  lie  removed  to 
Christian  county,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  tile  and  also  conducted  a 
general  mercantile  establishment  in  Stoning- 
ton.  For  ten  years  he  followed  those  pur- 
suits and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  grain  trade,  buy- 
ing and  selling  grain  for  twelve  years.  His 
death  occurred  in  1902,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1901. 

Fred  F.  Weiser  obtained  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Taylorville  and 
later  continued  his  studies  in  the  business 
college  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  he  w'as 
trained  for  the  responsible  and  practical  du- 
ties that  come  as  one  enters  business  life. 
He  began  to  earn,  his  own  living  when  but 
thirteen  years  of  age  as  a  clerk  in  a  clothing 
store  in  Taylorville,  where  he  remained  for 
ten  years,  when  he  came  to  Stonington  and 
joined  his  father  in  business  as  a  merchant 
and  tile  manufacturer.  During  the  last  ten 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  grain  busi- 
ness and  has  handled  a  large  share  of  the 
grain  raised  in  this  locality.  In  1902,  upon 
his  father's  death,  he  sold  the  business  but 
remained  as  its  manager,  in  the  service  of  the 
McNelly  Grain  Company. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Weiser  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Louise  Kreeger,  a  native  of 
Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  three  children :  Pearl,  Lu- 
cile  and  Fred  F.,  all  of  whom  are  under  the 
parental  roof.  Mr.  Weiser  owns  his  own 
home  in  Stonington  and  it  is  celebrated  for 
its   charming   and   cordial    hospitality.      He 


and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  German 
Reformed  church.  Called  to  public  ofiice 
he  has  been  found  most  trustworthy  in  all 
positions  of  a  public  character.  Fie  was 
town  collector  for  four  years,  was  supervisor 
for  fourteen  years  and  in  1900  was  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  posi- 
tion of  circuit  clerk.  Having  spent  almost 
his  entire  life  in  Christian  county,  he  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  within  its  borders  and 
the  strength  of  his  character,  his  honorable 
conduct  and  his  fidelity  to  manly  principles 
have  made  him  one  of  the  representative  and 
valued  citizens. 


A.    M.    SMITH. 


A.  M.  Smith,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  on  section  14,  South  Fork  town- 
ship, was  born  in  the  city  of  Washington  in 
1836,  his  parents  being  Messer  and  Cather- 
ine Smith.  Both  were  natives  of  Germany, 
whence  they  emigrated  to  America  at  an 
early  day.  The  father  was  the  second  Ger- 
man to  settle  in  South  Fork  township.  He 
bought  school  land  there  and  began  its  culti- 
vation and  continued  to  engage  in  farming 
until  eight  years  prior  to  his  death.  He  then 
retired  from  active  business  life  and  his  re- 
maining days  were  spent  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  w^ell-earned  rest. 

A.  M.  Smith  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  and  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist.  He  also  assisted  in  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  developing  a  new  farm  and 
throughout  his  life  he  has  followed  the  pur- 
suit to  which  he  was  reared.  He  started  out 
in  life  on  his  own  account  when  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  receiving  forty  acres  of  land 
from  his  father  and  the  cultivation  and  care 
which  he  bestowed  upon  this  soon  made  it 
a  valuable  tract.     As  his  financial  resources 


186 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


increased  he  added  to  it  from  time  to  time 
until  he  is  now  one  of  the  extensive  land- 
owners of  the  county,  his  realty  possessions 
aggregating  five  hundred  and  eighty-two 
and  a  half  acres.  He  also  has  seven  lots  in 
Taylorville.  All  of  the  improvements  on  his 
home  farm  were  made  hy  him.  these  includ- 
ing substantia]  hnildings  and  well-kept 
fences.  He  uses  modern  machinery  in  cul- 
tivating his  land  and  harvesting  his  crops 
and  everything  about  his  place  is  indicative 
of  his  careful  supervision  and  energy.  He 
has  given  the  greater  part  of  his  attention 
to  the  feeding  of  stock, 

Mr.  Smith  married  a  Miss  Adams,  a  na- 
ti\e  of  South  Fork  township,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  two  children,  but  only  one 
is  now  living:  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  William 
Taylor.  After  losing  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Smith  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Julia  Rogers.  This 
wedding  occurred  in  1901.  Mrs.  Smith 
is  a  member  of  the  ]\Iethodist  church 
and  a  most  estimable  lady,  esteemed  by 
many  friends  because  of  her  sterling  traits 
of  character.  Mr.  Smith  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Democracy.  He  served  his 
township  as  supervisor  for  one  term  and  w^as 
also  road  commissioner.  As  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county  he  is  familiar  with  its 
history  from  the  pioneer  epoch  down  to  the 
present  day  of  advancement  and  progress. 
He  has  always  been  very  fond  of  hunting 
and  in  pioneer  times  he  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  indulge  his  love  of  the  sport  be- 
cause there  were  great  quantities  of  wild 
game  in  Illinois.  He  has  seen  as  many  as 
twenty-five  deer  in  a  single  herd.  His  life 
has  been  characterized  by  unflagging  energy 
and  diligence  and  has  therefore  been 
crowned  with  a  gratifying  measure  of  suc- 
cess. In  early  manhood  he  ran  a  breaking 
team  for  three  years  and  for  four  years  he 


operated  a  threshing  machine.  He  has, 
however,  made  the  greater  part  of  his  money 
from  the  sale  of  stock  and  in  this  way  has 
gained  a  very  desirable  competence. 


HOWARD   M.    POWEL. 

While  "the  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift 
nor  the  battle  to  the  strong,"  the  invariable 
law  of  destiny  accords  to  tireless  energy,  in- 
dustry and  aljility  a  successful  career.  The 
truth  of  this  assertion  is  abundantly  verified 
in  the  life  of  Howard  M.  Powel,  of  Taylor- 
ville, who  has  been  identified  with  a  number 
of  business  enterprises  here  and  elsewhere. 

He  was  hnvn  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  22(1  of  July,  1839,  and  comes 
of  good  old  Quaker  stock,  his  parents,  Rich- 
ard and  Sarah  Powel,  being  members  of  the 
Society  of  Friends.  They  were  reared  in 
Philadelphia  and  continued  to  make  their 
home  in  that  city  for  many  years.  The 
father  was  born  in  1801  and  in  early  life 
learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  his  ap- 
prentice papers,  issued  in  1816,  being  now 
in  possession  of  our  subject.  From  Philadel- 
phia he  removed  to  Parkersburg,  West  Vir- 
ginia, in  1840,  and  in  1851  came  to  Illinois. 
After  living  for  a  time  in  Springfield,  he  re- 
moved to  Taylorville  in  1853,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  of  cabinet-making  and  also 
conducted  a  furniture  store  for  several 
years.  After  a  useful  and  well-spent  life  he 
])assed  away  in  September,  1875,  honored 
and  respected  by  all  Avho  knew  him. 

Howard  M.  Powel  was  principally  edu- 
cated at  Spring"field,  Illinois,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  years  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self. The  following  year  he  commenced 
teaching  school  and  successfullv  followed 
that  pursuit  for  six  or  seven  years.  Form- 
ing a  partnership  with  W.  W.  Watkins,  he 
next  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Taylor- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


187 


ville  until  1865  when  he  sold  his  interest  in 
the  store  and  removed  to  Lincoln,  Illinois, 
where  the  following  five  years  were  passed. 
On  his  return  to  Taylorville  in  1S70,  he  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building  for  a  few 
years  and  in  1874  opened  a  lumber  yard, 
which  he  carried  on  until  1881,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  the  same.  He  was  next  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  from  1885  until 
1889,  but  at  present  gives  his  attention  prin- 
cipally to  the  oil  industry,  being  interested  in 
the  Inter-State  Oil  &  Gas  Company,  which 
has  over  ten  thousand  acres  of  valuable 
leases  in  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas.  They 
own  two  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  in  fee 
simple  and  have  over  seventy  wells,  the  pro- 
duction from  which  is  eight  hundred  and 
eighty  barrels  of  oil  per  day.  Mr.  Powel  is 
president  and  treasurer  of  this  company  and 
gives  much  of  his  time  to  the  enterprise,  the 
success  of  which  is  due  almost  entirely  to  his 
well  directed  efforts  and  sound  business 
judgment.  He  owns  considerable  property, 
including  a  plumbing  shop  and  some  houses 
in  Taylorville,  and  also  has  a  valuable  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Tay- 
lorville township. 

In  1864  Mr.  Powel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Young,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Montgomery  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  died  on  the  4th  of  January,  1870. 
leaving  three  children,  namely:  Warren  A., 
who  married  Lois  Fox,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Fox,  and  is  engaged  in  the  plumbing  busi- 
ness in  Taylorville;  and  Harriet  and  Sarah 
J.  Mr.  Powell  was  again  married  Decem- 
ber 25,  1872,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Emily  (Palmer)  Anderson. 

Religiously  Mr.  Powel  is  a  member  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church,  and 
fraternally  has  been  identified  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order  at  Taylorville  since  1864.  His 
political  support  is  given  the  men  and  meas- 


ures of  the  Republican  party  and  he  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs, 
serving  as  alderman  and  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board.  During  the  time  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Springfield  he  lived  next  door  to 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  was  a  warm  personail 
friend  of  the  great  man.  He  occupies  a 
leading  position  in  business  circles  and  he 
to-day  enjoys  the  reward  of  his  industry. 


G.   F.   BARRETT. 


Among  the  wide-awake,  energetic  busi- 
ness men  of  Owaneco  is  numbered  G.  F. 
Barrett,  whose  activities  cover  many  lines 
of  business.  He  is  especially  well  known  as 
a  grain  dealer,  and  his  watchfulness  of  busi- 
ness opportunities,  his  unfaltering  persever- 
ance and  his  well  known  reliability  are  the 
elements  which  form  the  secret  of  his  pros- 
perity. 

Mr.  Barrett  was  born  in  LaSalle  county, 
Illinois,  June  4,  1857,  a  son  of  Andrew  and 
Margaret  Barrett,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Ireland.  The  hope  of  enjoying  bet- 
ter privileges  in  the  new  world  led  them  to 
cross  the  Atlantic  to  America  and  in  the  year 
1869  they  became  residents  of  Christian 
county,  establishing  their  home  in  Locust 
township,  where  they  were  Identified  with 
farming  interests  for  a  number  of  years. 
Through  the  exercise  of  his  energy  and  cap- 
able management  Mr.  Barrett  acquired  a 
comfortable  competence  which  now  enables 
him  to  live  a  retired  life,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  now  residents  of  Owaneco. 

To'  the  district  school  system  of  the  state 
Mr.  Barrett  is  Indebted  for  the  educational 
advantages  which  he  enjoyed.  His  boyhood 
was  devoted  to  his  school  work,  to  the  labors 
of  the  fields  upon  the  home  farm  and  tO'  the 
pleasures  in  which  the  boys  of  the  period  in- 


188 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


diilged.  Thus  i)assed  the  years  and  when 
he  had  attained  his  majority  he  started  out 
in  hfe  on  liis  own  account  l)y  renting  a  tract 
of  land  on  whicli  he  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing until  1892.  He  then  resolved  to  con- 
centrate his  business  energies  in  the  village 
and  icK)k  up  his  abode  in  Owaneco,  where 
he  was  connected  with  the  grain  trade  until 
January,  1904.  He  is  the  leading  auctioneer 
in  this  section  and  has  cried  many  important 
sales,  so  managing  the  disposal  of  property 
as  to  produce  results  that  are  satisfactory 
alike  to  seller  and  purchaser.  His  invest- 
ments are  represented  by  financial  interests 
in  the  Barrett  P)rothers  harness  shop,  the  J. 
B.  Cole  &  Company  tile  and  brickyard  of 
Owaneco  and  The  Metzger  Hill  Company, 
of  w'hich  he  is  the  president.  This  is  a  com- 
mission company  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He 
also  buys  and  sells  stock  and  his  varied  in- 
terests are  remunerative. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  April,  1881,  Mr.  Barrett 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  C. 
Fry,  a  daughter  of  George  Fry,  of  Shelby 
county.  Two  children  grace  this  union : 
Alvin  W.,  w^ho  is  now  a  student  in  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio;  and  Walter,  at  home.  Mrs.  Bar- 
rett is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  Mr.  Barrett  has  membership  re- 
lations with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Court  of  Honor.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  an  earnest  Republican,  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  success  of  his  party  and  well 
informed  on  the  issues  and  questions  of  the 
day.  He  served  as  township  collector  for 
two  years,  two  years  as  assessor,  and  was 
supervisor  for  four  years,  filling  the  latter 
position  when  the  new  courthouse  was 
l>egun.  Local  advancement  and  national 
progress  are  causes  dear  to  his  heart  and  in 
citizenship  as  in  business  he  is  alert  and  en- 
terprising. 


W.  H.  SHAW. 

W.  H.  Sluiw,  who  is  engaged  in  the  live 
stock  business,  making  extensive  purchases 
and  sales,  and  who  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  citi- 
zens of  Stonington,  was  born  in  Pickaway, 
Ohif\  on  the  12th  of  April,  1853.  His  par- 
ents were  Samuel  and  Virginia  Shaw.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Ohio, 
became  a  veterinary  surgeon,  and  in  the  year 
1865  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Chris- 
tian county  upon  a  farm.  He  took  up  his 
abode  in  Taylorville  in  1881,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until 
1895.  I"  1 90 1  li*^  removed  to  Ramsey,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  has  now  lived  retired  for  two 
vears. 

To  the  common  school  system  of  Chris- 
tian county  Mr.  Shaw  is  indebted  for  the 
educational  privileges  he  enjoyed  in  his  boy- 
hood. He  was  trained  to  farm  work  upon 
his  father's  farm,  early  becoming  familiar 
with  the  labors  of  field  and  meadow,  and  he 
continued  to  assist  in  the  operation  of  the 
old  homestead  until  1879,  when  he  removed 
to  Blue  Mound,  Macon  county.  There  he 
began  buying  and  shipping  stock  in  t88i, 
and  in  1896  he  came  to  Stonington,  wdiere 
he  continues  in  the  same  business,  being  now- 
one  of  the  largest  buyers  and  shippers  of  the 
county.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock 
and  is  therefore  able  to  make  judicious  pur- 
chases and  profitable  sales.  The  extent  of 
liis  business  brings  to  him  a  good  financial 
return  and  he  has  become,  through  his  own 
efforts,  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in  his 
community. 

On  the  1 2th  of  October,  1878,  Mr.  Shaw 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Rei- 
mer,  a  daughter  of  Richard  Reimer,  who 
was  born  near  Akron,  Ohio.  Four  children 
grace  the  uiiion  of  our  subject  and  his  wife : 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


189 


Maud,  Otis,  Cloyd  and  Eldo,  aged  respect- 
ively twenty-two,  nineteen,  sixteen  and  thir- 
teen years.  The  mother  and  daugh- 
ter belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Shaw  has  recently  completed 
a  beautiful  home  in  Stonington,  and  he  puts 
forth  every  effort  in  his  power  to  enhance 
the  happiness  of  his  family.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  with  the  Odd  Fellows  society. 
While  residing  in  Macon  county  he  filled 
the  office  of  collector  of  his  town  and  is  now 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  alder- 
men of  Stonington. 


HENRY  M.  GRAHAM. 

Henry  M.  Graham,  an  honored  and  highly 
esteemed  citizen  of  Rosemond,  Illinois,  was 
born  on  the  8th  of  April,  1835,  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  his  parents 
being  E.  W.  and  Mary  (Mcllhaney)  Gra- 
ham, both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  By  oc- 
cupation the  father  was  a  railroad  contrac- 
tor, and  as  such  aided  in  the  construction  of 
the  first  road  over  the  Alleghany  mountains. 
He  was  a  son  of  Alexander  Graham,  who 
was  of  Irish  descent  and  a  tail(>r  by  trade. 
Our  subject's  maternal  grandfa^bei.  Henrv 
Mcllhaney,  was  also  of  Irish  parentage  and 
made  farming  his  life  work. 

Henry  M.  Graham,  of  this  review,  is  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight 
children  who  reached  man  and  womanhood 
and  six  of  the  number  are  still  living.  In 
early  life  he  attended  the  common  schools  of 
Chester  and  Perry  counties,  Pennsylvania. 
It  was  his  ambition  to  become  a  soldier,  but 
finding  this  impossible  at  that  time  he  ob- 
tained a  position  on  a  canal  boat  running  be- 
tween Pittsburg  and  Columbia,  Pennsylva- 
nia, across  the  Alleghany  mountains,  over 
which  the  boats  were  conveyed  by  trucks. 


He  was  thus  employed  during  the  summer 
months  from  the  age  of  thirteen  until  twenty 
years  old. 

In  December,  1855,  Mr.  Graham  came  to 
Illinois  and  spent  five  years  in  Mercer 
county.  In  the  meantime  he  was  married 
in  Pike  county,  this  state,  in  September, 
1859,  to  Miss  Mary  W.  Ewing,  who  was 
born  in  Jefferson  county,  Illinois,  December 
2,  1840,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Susan 
Ewing,  and  was  eleven  years  old  on  the 
removal  of  the  family  to  Pike  county.  By 
this  union  were  born  thirteen  children,  eight 
daughters  and  five  sons,  but  the  latter  all 
died  in  infancy.  The  daughters  are  Mary 
C,  now  a  resident  of  Jacksonville;  Cora 
Isabel,  wife  of  C.  A.  Covert,  of  Jasper 
county,  Missouri ;  Laura  Matilda,  who  was 
married  March  31,  1889.  to  J.  H.  Klinefel- 
ter, of  Webb  City,  Missouri ;  Ida  Metta, 
who  was  married  January  20,  1891,  to  P. 
M.  Klinefelter,  of  Greenwood  township,  this 
county;  Lillian  May,  who  was  married  Sep- 
tember 30,  1896,  to  J.  A.  Boyd,  a  merchant 
of  Palmer,  Christian  county;  Nora  H.,  who 
was  married  November  2,  1902,  to  E.  D. 
Boyd,  of  Greenwood  township;  and  Grace 
and  Emma,  both  at  home.  The  children 
have  all  had  good  educational  advantages. 

In  the  fall  of  i860  Mr  Graham  came  to 
Christian  county  and  settled  on  the  prairie 
near  where  the  Buckeye  church  now  stands, 
leaving  his  wife  and  two  children  there  when 
he  entered  the  army  during  the  Civil  war. 
He  enlisted  in  Rosamond  township  in  Sep- 
tember, 1863,  and  remained  in  the  service 
until  hostilities  ceased,  being  mustered  out 
at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  on  the  22d  of  No- 
vember, 1865.  His  was  a  frontier  regiment 
and  was  under  the  command  of  General 
Merritt.  On  his  return  home  Mr.  Graham 
resumed  farming  and  for  twenty  years  he 
also  engaged  in  shipping  stock.     In  1868  he 


190 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


took  up  his  residence  on  section  i6,  Rosa- 
mond township — the  school  section — and  to 
the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  that 
farn>  he  devoted  his  energies  for  many 
years.  He  erected  all  of  the  huildings  and 
planted  all  of  the  trees  now  found  thereon. 
Having  decided  to  retire  from  active  lahor 
he  sold  that  place  and  in  Octoher,  1902,  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Rosemond,  occupy- 
ing one  of  the  pioneer  homes  of  the  county, 
it  having  been  built  about  1854.  Besides  his 
residence  he  owns  other  town  property. 

Mr.  Graham  is  the  third  oldest  settler  liv- 
ing in  Rosamond  township  and  is  one  of  the 
most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which  his 
wife  and  children  also  belong  and  he  assisted 
in  building  all  of  the  churches  in  his  and  ad- 
joining townships.  While  residing  on  the 
farm  he  served  as  trustee  and  steward  of  the 
church  with  which  he  was  connected.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  an  honored  member  of  Pope 
Post,  No.  411,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Pana,  and  polit- 
ically he  is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  a 
number  of  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
was  elected  tax  collector  in  1866  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  nine  years.  He  was  also 
justice  of  the  ])eace  four  years,  supervisor 
two  years  and  assessor  two  years,  and  he 
prfjved  a  most  capable  and  trustworthy  offi- 
cial. 


ROBERT  LITTLE. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  central  Illi- 
nois, it  is  hardly  too  much  to  say,  that 
there  was  none  who  exercised  throughout 
his  life  a  stronger  influence  or  has  left  a 
more  enduring  impression  on  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  his  associates  and  acquaintances 
than  Robert  Little.     He  was  born  near  the 


\illage  of  Goffstown,  New  Hampshire,  on 
the  25th  of  January,  1809,  and  was  the 
third  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  not  one 
of  whom  now  survive. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  moved 
Ijy  a  desire  to  accomplish  more  than  the  op- 
portunities of  his  native  village  afforded, 
Mr.  Little  went  to  Brookline,  then  about 
three  miles  from  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and 
for  about  ten  years  worked  for  wages  in 
the  employ. of  different  citizens  of  that  place. 
For  years  an  attempt  had  been  made  by 
some  of  the  Boston  people  to  found  a  new 
settlement  in  what  is  now  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  which  should,  in  time,  be- 
come the  center  of  a  new  county.  Mr.  Lit- 
tle had  heard  and  read  much  of  Illinois  and 
looked  longingly  that  way.  In  Boston  was 
a  young  man,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the 
Audubon  Land  Company,  who  intended  to 
come  to  Illinois  and  he  heard  of  a  young 
man  in  Brookline  who  also  talked  of  going 
thither  and  he  paid  the  latter  a  visit  and 
formed  his  acquaintance.  The  result  of  this 
interview  was  that  John  S.  Hayward,  Rob- 
ert Little  and  his  friend  William  Pike 
started  for  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of 
1838,  making  the  tedious  voyage  of  the 
lakes  and  entering  the  boundary  of  the 
promised  land  at  Chicago,  proceeding  thence 
l)y  stage  to  Hillsboro,  and  from  that  point 
Mr.  Little  and  his  friend  took  passage  by 
stae'e  to  the  new  settlement  of  .\u(lubon. 
Liking  the  prospects,  Mr.  Little  bought  land 
and  he  and  his  friend  built  themselves  a 
cabin  in  the  woods  and  during  the  winter 
that  followed  cut  down  trees  and  split  rails 
to  fence  the  land.  In  the  spring  of  1839 
they  broke  prairie  and  planted  their  first  crop 
of  corn,  and  during  the  summer  cut  and 
hauled  to  mill  at  Audubon  the  logs  to  be 
sawed  into  lumber  for  a  house  and  before 
the  frost  had  touched  the  leaves  ]\Ir.  Little 


*5i^ 


'L 


%: 


'^ 


^ 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


193 


had  a  comfortable  dwelling  house  to  which 
he  could  welcome  his  future  bride. 

That  fall  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire 
and  on  the  30th  of  September,  1839,  was 
married  to  Charlotte  Pike.  The  newly  mar- 
ried pair  came  westward  by  the  slow  meth- 
ods of  travel  then  prevailing.  Reaching 
Pittsburg,  a  flatboat  brought  them  to  Cin- 
cinnati and  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
was  made  by'  stage  and  private  conveyance 
until  the  new  home  on  the  prairie  was 
reached.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  that 
was  their  home,  and  though  pleasant  in  its 
surroundings,  the  railroad  that  had  been 
projected  to  run  near  it  failed  to  reach  that 
point,  and  the  village  of  Audubon,  which 
was  to  have  been  a  county  seat,  was  fast 
losing  its  population.  Mr.  Little  fixed  his 
eyes  on  a  pleasant  mound  five  miles  to  the 
northeast  and  in  1864  built  and  moved  to 
that  home,  some  two  miles  south  of  Rose- 
mond  in  Christian  county. 

During  the  period  of  his  stay  at  the  old 
farm  and  for  some  years  after  he  came  to 
the  new  one,  he  had  the  close  companionship 
of  his  younger  brother,  Otis  Little,  whose 
farm  was  near  the  first  home;  and  how 
close,  intimate  and  cordial  were  their  rela- 
tions is  well  known  to  many  of  the  old  resi- 
dents of  that  vicinity.  That  tender  rela- 
tionship was  severed  by  the  death  of  the 
latter  in  the  year  1872,  when  Otis  Little  was 
buried  in  the  Rosemond  cemetery. 

Sixty-five  years  have  passed  since  the 
cabin  was  built  which  sheltered  the  two 
friends  during  the  long  first  winter  in  the 
new  settlement.  How  marked  the  change! 
The  wild  deer  in  herds  no  longer  roam  the 
uncultivated  prairies;  and  many  a  strong 
arm  and  stout  heart  has  yielded  to  the  strug- 
gle, battling  to  subdue  the  wilds  of  nature, 
and  after  that  to  preserve  for  future 
generations  the  state  and  nation   from  the 


threatened  grasp  of  slavery.  The  part 
which  he  took  in  these  struggles,  the  labors 
and  successes,  the  many  acts  of  kindness, 
the  deeds  of  charity  and  benevolence,  the 
words  of  cheer  and  hearty  advice,  the  daily 
toil,  the  temperate  and  consistent  life  of 
Robert  Little  are  matters  of  history  and 
recognized  by  all  who  knew  him.  Of  many 
of  these  noble  acts  there  is  no  record,  ex- 
cept in  the  memory  of  those  who  best  know 
of  them,  yet  not  a  few  are  still  living  that 
can  speak  of  them.  Not  a  few  there  are  who 
could  say  that  to  his  kindness  and  indul- 
gence they  were  indebted,  in  a  large  degree, 
for  the  homes  they  possessed  and  for  their 
success  in  life.  His  heart  and  hand  were 
ever  open,  and  no  needy  and  deserving  ap- 
plicant was  ever  refused  help  that  was  in 
nis  power  to  consistently  bestow.  Settling 
here  in  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  his 
adopted  state,  he  contributed  much  in  mak- 
ing it  what  it  is — desirable   for   situation. 

Mr.  Little  died  at  his  home  on  the  13th 
of  June,  1887,  and  it  was  the  subject  of  re- 
mark when  two  days  later  his  body  was  laid 
to  rest,  that  the  funeral  procession  was  one 
of  the  largest  ever  witnessed  in  that  part  of 
the  state,  there  being  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen carriages  and  wagons  in  the  proces- 
sion, reaching  the  entire  distance  from  the 
residence  to  the  Rosemond  cemetery,  the 
place  of  interment. 

For  fourteen  years  he  was  survived  by  his 
widow,  Charlotte  P.  Little,  who  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Hebron,  New  Hampshire,  June 
22,  1808.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Ruth  Pike  and  the  granddaughter 
of  Elijah  Blood,  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
The  earlier  years  of  her  life  were  spent  in 
the  Society  of  Friends  or  Quakers,  and  the 
impress  of  such  surroundings  was  witnessed 
in  her  habits  and  methods.  Quiet,  cheerful, 
patient,    frugal,    industrious,    unselfish,    de- 


194 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


voted  to  her  husband  and  daiii^htcr.  passion- 
ately attached  to  her  home,  \vhich  she  rarely 
left,  \()id  of  ostentation  and  ct)ntinna]ly  em- 
ployed in  services  for  the  comfort  of  her 
family  and  those  who  from  surrounding  cir- 
cumstances most  needed  her  asistance.  doins;' 
deeds  of  kindness  and  charity,  the  even  tenor 
of  her  life  was  prolonged  beyond  the  allotted 
span.  She  died  at  the  home  of  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Mary  F.  Kitchell.  in  Pana,  whither  she 
went  for  the  last  time  in  the  fall  of  1898, 
remaining  there  until  her  death,  which  oc- 
curred June  19.  1901,  at  the  ad\anced  age 
of  ninety-two  years,  ele\en  months  and 
twentv-eight  davs.  She  was  one  of  nine 
children  born  to  her  parents,  the  father  dy- 
ing in  New  England  in  1835.  After  her 
marriage  she  brought  her  mother  to  the  new- 
western  home.  A  brother,  William  Pike, 
i)efore  mentioned,  had  already  preceded  her 
the  year  before  and  had  bought  and  im- 
proved land  in  the  A'icinity  of  Audulxm, 
where  he  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age.  The 
mother  continued  to  reside  with  her  daugh- 
ter the  remainder  of  her  days,  and  died  on 
the  3d  of  January,  1879,  '^^  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-three  years,  four  months  and 
twenty-seven  days,  and  was  buried  in  Rose- 
mond  Grove  cemetery. 

The  sole  offspring  and  survivor  of  Robert 
and  Charlotte  P.  Little  is  their  daughter 
Mary  F.  Kitchell.  the  wife  of  John  W.  Kit- 
chell, now  residing  in  Pana. 


JOHN  W.  KITCHELL. 

John  Wickliffe  Kitchell,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  in  Pana.  represents 
an  ancestrv  honorable  and  distinguished. 
He  is  a  descendant  of  Robert  Kitchel.  the 
leader  of  a  band  of  Puritans  wdio  emigrated 
from  England  in  1639  and  who  joined  them- 
selves together  in  a  "Plantation  Covenant." 


and  settled  at  Guilford,  Connecticut.  Rob- 
ert Kitchel  afterward  went  to  New  Jersey, 
where  man}'  of  his  descendants  are  to  be 
fimnd.  Aaron  Kitchel  was  a  member  of 
congress  from  1799  to  1807  and  was  then 
chosen  Ihiited  States  .senator. 

John  W.  Kitchell  was  born  in  Palestine, 
Crawford  county.  Illinois.  May  30,  1835,  a 
son  of  W'ickliti  and  Elizabeth  (Ross)  Kit- 
chell. His  father  was  born  in  the  state  of 
Xew  York  in  the  year  1789,  going  thence 
in  early  youth  to  New  Jersey,  and  after 
his  marriage  at  Newark  in  18 12  determined 
to  cast  his  fortunes  in  the  newly  developing 
west,  proceeding  through  Pennsylvania  to 
Pittsburg  and  thence  by  flatboat  to  Cincin- 
nati and  settling  near  the  Whitewater  river. 
W'icklifif  Kitchell  subsequently  removed  to 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
at  the  same  time  read  law  at  night  by  the 
light  of  a  faggot.  He  served  as  sheriff  of 
his  county  at  one  time.  He  continued  to 
move  westward  until  the  year  Illinois  was 
admitted  to  the  Union,  when  he  brought  his 
famil}^  to  this  state  and  became  a  resident 
of  Palestine.  He  was  appointed  register  of 
th.e  land  office  at  that  plac'e  and  was  des- 
tined to  still  greater  prominence  in  con- 
nection with  the  new  commonwealth,  always 
taking  a  great  interest  in  public  affairs.  To 
secure  l)etter  educational  advantages  for 
his  then  numerous  children,  he  removed  to 
Hillsboro,  Montgomery  county,  iii  the  fall 
of  1838,  and  there  continued  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  being  contemporary  with 
and  pitted  against  the  ablest  members  of  the 
bar  in  southern  Illinois,  such  as  Fields, 
Shields,  Gillespie,  Kinder,  Constable,  Fick- 
lin  and  later  Lincoln,  Douglas,  Trumbull 
;md  Thornton.  He  served  as  state's  attor- 
ney in  his  circuit  and  was  attorney  general 
of  the  state  in  1839  and  1840.  In  politics 
he   was  a    Jacksonian   Democrat,   but  inde- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


197 


l)enclent  and  fearless  in  the  advocacy  of 
his  somewhat  advanced  doctrines,  opposed 
lo  trickery  and  to  the  gigantic  system  of 
internal  improvement  inaugurated  in  the 
state.  He  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  in 
1828  and  1838  and  was  twice  elected  as  a 
niemher  of  the  house  of  representatives.  He 
began  to  break  away  from  the  Democratic 
party  at  the  period  of  the  war  with  Mexico. 
A  determined  enemy  to  the  extension  of 
slavery,  he  was  adverse  to  the  repeal  of  the 
Missouri  compromise,  was  an  anti-Nebraska 
Democrat  and  participated  in  the  formation 
of  the  Republican  party,  being  present  at 
the  famous  Bloomington  convention.  In 
1846  he  removed  to  Iowa  but  returned  to 
Hillsboro  in  1853.  He  died  in  Pana  in 
1869.  An  elder  brother,  Joseph  Kitchell, 
was  receiver  of  the  public  land  office  at 
Palestine,  a  member  of  the  first  constitu- 
tional convention  which  met  at  Kaskaskia 
and  afterward  a  member  of  the  first  senate 
which  convened  after  the  adoption  of  the 
constitution. 

Of  the  ten  children  born  to  WicklitT  and 
Elizabeth  (Ross)  Kitchell,  three  sons  grew 
to  maturity  and  shared  the  political  opinions 
and  adopted  the  profession  of  their  father.. 
The  eldest,  Alfred  Kitchell,  after  obtaining 
his  license  settled  in  the  then  small  village 
of  Olney,  Richland  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  remained  for  many  years,  having  attained 
success  and  prominence  as  a  lawyer  and  in 
the  building  up  of  his  town.  He  was  state's 
attorney  for  several  successive  terms  and 
was  subsequently  elected  judge  of  the  circuit 
court  and  was  a  member  of  the  constitutional 
convention  of  1848.  He  died  at  Galesburg, 
Illinois,  in  1866.  The  next  oldest  son, 
Edward  Kitchell,  after  a  trip  across  the 
plains  with  an  ox  team  in  1852,  to  California, 
returned  to  Illinois  and  took  up  the  study  of 
law  with  his  bnjther  Alfred  at  OUiey.     He 


was  an  ardent  patriot  and  entered  the  Union 
army  in  1862  as  lieutenant  colonel  of  the 
Ninety-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  which  regiment  he  command- 
ed during  the  greater  part  of  its  service 
and  which  formed  a  part  of  the  famous  Wil- 
der Brigade  of  Mounted  Infantry.  At  the 
close  of  his  service  Edward  Kitchell  was 
brevetted  a  brigadier  general.  He  was  a 
presidential  elector  on  the  Republican  ticket 
in  1868  and  for  a  time  was  revenue  collector 
for  his  congressional  district.  He  died  at 
Olney,  Illinois,  July  11,  1869. 

The  youngest  of  the  family  and  the  only 
one  now  living  is  John  W.  Kitchell.  When 
in  his  sixteenth  year  his  school  education 
ended  at  the  Hillsboro  Academy,  which  he 
attended  but  for  one  year  and  then  returned 
to  his  father's  home  then  at  Fort  Madison, 
Iowa.  There  he  entered  the  law  office  of 
Miller  &  Beck,  eminent  practitioners  of  that 
state,  and  passing  an  examination  received 
a  license  to  practice  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years.  Soon  afterward  the  family  returned 
to  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  and  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen he  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon. 
E.  Y.  Rice,  subsequently  judge  of  the  cir- 
cuit court  and  member  of  congress.  During 
the  following  winter  he  was  chosen  to  a 
clerkship  in  the  Illinois  house  of  representa- 
tives at  Springfield  and  served  as  reading 
clerk  during  that  term,  when  Lyman  Trum- 
bull was  elected  to  the  United  States  senate. 
Mr.  Kitchell  occupied  a  like  position  in  the 
session  of  1860-61  when  Shelby  M.  Cul- 
lom  was  speaker  of  the  house  and  Richard 
Yates,  Sr.,  was  governor  of  the  state.  He 
has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  public 
affairs,  casting  his  first  vote  for  Fremont 
for  president.  He  was  successively  the  nom- 
inee of  the  Republican  party  for  the  state 
senate  and  for  congress  but  both  times  was 


198 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


unsuccessful  by  reason  of  the  strong  Demo- 
cratic majorities.  In  iS<jj  lie  was  a  dclet^atc 
to  the  Minneapohs  convention  which  nomi- 
nated Benjamin  Harrison  for  the  presidency 
the  second  time. 

Mr.  Kitchcll  has  not  ^Ivcn  the  law  i)rac- 
tice  his  nn(h\ided  attention.  While  still  a 
young"  man  he  embarked  in  the  newspaper 
business  at  Tlillslioro,  editing  and  publishing 
the  Montgomery  Herald,  and  for  eighteen 
months  during  the  }'ears  1859  and  i860, 
while  temporarily  residing  in  Charleston, 
Jllinois,  he  w%as  the  editor  of  the  Charleston 
Courier,  a  Republican  newspaper.  Having 
returned  to  Hillsboro,  where  his  aged  par- 
ents still  resided,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
H,  Ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  at 
the  first  call  for  volunteers  in  April,  1861  ; 
was  chosen  first  lieutenant,  and  afterward 
became  adjutant  of  the  regiment;  on  the 
promotion  of  Captain  Phillips  to  the  major- 
ship  he  had  command  of  the  company  as 
captain  until  the  end  of  his  three  months' 
service.  At  the  second  urgent  call  for  troops 
in  1862  he  was  again  about  to  enter  the 
service,  but  the  sudden  serious  illness  and 
subsequent  death  of  his  mother  detained  him 
at  home  until  the  regiment  was  filled  and 
mustered  into  service.  lie  then  established 
and  took  charge  of  the  Union  Monitor,  a 
paper  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  soldiers 
and  the  Union  cau.se,  taking  stroug  grounds 
against  resistance  to  the  draft.  Having  pub- 
licly declared  that  if  drafted  he  would  go 
in  person  and  not  furni.sh  a  substitute  and 
his  name  lieing  one  of  the  first  in  the  drawl- 
ing made  to  fill  the  quota  from  his  town, 
he  at  once  abandoned  his  business  and  acain 
entered  the  service  in  1864,  remaining  until 
di.scharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Having 
failed  to  encounter  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers of  the  war,  Mr.  Kitchell  feels  that  he 


owes  a  special  duty  to  the  comrades  who  bore 
the  l)runt  of  battle  and  he  has  sought  to  do 
their  memory  honor,  having  contril)uted  a 
bronze  group  for  the  Soldiers'  Monument 
erected  at  Linwood  cemetery  near  Pana  in 
1895,  '^"^^  'ic  and  his  wife  have  presented 
to  the  Rosemond  Grove  cemetery  a  splendid 
soldiers'  monument,  the  granite  pedestal 
bearing  the  figure,  heroic  in  size,  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  after  the  design  and  modeling 
f   Charles   J.    Mulligan,   sculptor,   of   Chi- 


( ) 


cago,  a  work  which  has  already  achieved 
national  fame  and  a  cut  of  which  will  be 
seen  elsewhere  in  this  publication.  The 
paternal  grandmother  and  tw*^  uncles  of 
Mrs.  Kitchell  lie  at  rest  in  those  grounds, 
to  which  Mrs.  Kitchell  has  recently  added 
fifty  acres  as  a  future  permanent  addition 
to  the  cemetery,  which  for  natural  beauty 
and  attractiveness  in  its  surroundings  is  un- 
surpassed anywhere  in  the  west. 

Mr.  Kitchell  has  devoted  much  of  his 
time  to  matters  connected  with  the  growth 
of  the  city  in  whichi  he  resides,  having  had 
faith  in  its  future.  He  invested  largely  of 
his  means  in  the  development  of  two  of  the 
four  coal  mines  wdiich  form  so  important  a 
part  of  its  industries,  but  parted  wdth  his 
interests  in  the  mines  when  their  success 
was  assured.  Pic  came  to  Pana  in  the  fall 
of  1866.  He  is  now  in  a  measure  retired 
from  the  active  practice  of  his  profession. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post 
.and  is  serving"  his  second  term  as  com 
p.iander.  He  has  been  president  of  the  Pana 
Public  Library  Board  since  its  organization. 
In  the  management  of  his  farming"  interests, 
ill  the  transaction  of  such  matters  as  daily 
devolve  upon  a  lawyer  wdio  does  principally 
an  office  business  and  in  the  varied  duties 
pertaining  to  his  position  as  a  citizen  at  large 
he  finds  his  time  fairly  occupied. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


199 


C.  O.  GATES. 

One  of  the  prominent  representatives  of 
the  journalistic  profession  in  Christian 
county  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  hnei  notice,  the  well  known  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Mount  Au1)urn  Tribune. 
He  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of 
Illinois,  his  l)irth  occurring  in  Sangamon 
county,  May  12,  1868.  His  parents.  Fines 
M.  and  May  A.  (Shelton)  Gates,  were  na- 
tives of  Kentucky  and  came  to  Illinois  in 
1864,  locating  in  Sangamon  county,  where 
the  town  of  Thayer  is  now  situated.  The 
father  became  one  of  the  leading  contractors 
of  that  locality  and  died  there  on  the  24th 
of  December,  1872.  The  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing and  is  now  die  wife  of  A.  M.  Jenkins, 
of  Muhlenberg  county,  Kentucky. 

During  his  boyhood  C.  O.  Gates  attended 
the  district  schools  and  on  attaining  his  ma- 
jority started  out  in  life  for  himself  as  a 
farmer.  He  su1:isequently  went  to  Mon- 
mouth, Illinois,  where  he  worked  for  the 
Monmouth  Mining  &  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Divernon,  Sangamon  county,  buying  out  the 
Divernon  Star,  which  he  published  for  two 
years.  After  selling  that  paper  he  started 
the  Chapin  Record,  which  he  sold  in  1898. 
and  then  returned  to  Divernon,  where  he 
worked  in  the  mines  until  the  fall  of  1902. 
He  then  came  to  Mount  Auburn  and  pur- 
chased The  Tribune,  which  he  has  'already 
made  one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the 
county,  its  circulation  having  greatly  in- 
creased since  it  came  into  his  possession. 
He  has  now  erected  a  business  block  in  the 
village  where  he  has  opened  a  first  class 
book  and  stationery  store.  He  is  a  very  en- 
ergetic business  man  and  well  deserves  the 
success  that  has  come  to  him. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  1893,  Mr.  Gates  was 


united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Edith  V.  Colli- 
flower,  a  daughter  of  John  Collitlower,  of 
Divernon,  and  to  them  have  been  born  tliree 
children :  Hazel  O.,  Phineas  C.  and  Daisy 
Mae.  By  his  ballot  Mr.  Gates  supports  the 
Democratic  party.  He  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  civic  societies  and  is  now  serving  as 
chancellor  commander  of  Racy  Lodge,  No. 
629,  K.  P.,  of  Mount  Auburn.  He  also  be- 
longs to  Grove  City  Lodge,  No.  275,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  Mount  Auburn  Camp,  No.  2849, 
M.  W.  A. 


JAMES  H.  ALEXANDER. 

James  H.  Alexander  is  serving  as  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Morrisonville,  a  position 
which  he  has  filled  for  fifteen  years  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. He  is  thoroughly  impartial  in 
meting  out  justice,  his  opinions  being  un- 
biased by  either  fear  or  favor,  and  his  fidel- 
ity to  the  trust  reposed  in  him  is  above  cpes- 
tion.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  Morri- 
sonville and  it  is  therefore  consistent  that  he 
be  represented  in  a  work  whose  province  is 
the  portrayal  of  the  lives  of  the  prominent 
men  of  Christian  county. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  born  in  Rush  county, 
Indiana,  October  9,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of 
Reuben  Alexander,  who  was  born  March  4, 
1814,  and  is  still  living.  The  latter,  who 
was  a  successful  farmer  throughout  his  ac- 
tive business  life,  is  now  living  retired.  His 
father  was  James  Alexander,  who  lived  to 
be  ninety-six  years  of  age,  while  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Nancy  Spence,  was  a  centenarian.  In 
fact  the  family  is  noted  for  longevity.  The 
family  is  of  Scotch  origin  and  was  founded 
in  the  Carolinas  in  colonial  days. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  James  H. 
Alexander  continued  to  make  his  home  until 


200 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


January  7,  1883,  and  to  its  public  schools 
he  is  indebted  for  the  educational  advan- 
tages he  enjoyed.  In  early  life  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  and  after  becoming  an 
expert  workman  he  engaged  in  contracting 
and  buildini?-  for  some  time.  Two  winters 
he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Shelby 
county,  Indiana,  and  then  returned  to  In- 
dianapolis, Indiana,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  seven  years,  and  was  next  em- 
ployed in  a  foundry  for  the  manufacture  of 
car  wheels  at  Lafayette,  that  state,  until 
coming  to  Morrisonville,  Illinois,  in  1883. 
Here  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and 
engaged  in  contracting  for  four  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  was  elected  to  his  pres- 
ent position  and  has  since  given  his  attention 
to  the  duties  of  that  office.  During  his  in- 
cumbency he  has  never  had  a  decision  re- 
versed by  the  superior  courts,  which  could 
probably  be  said  of  no  other  justice  in  the 
state  who  has  served  as  long  as  he  has.  He 
is  now  doing  some  fire  insurance  and  from 
both  sources  he  derives  a  good  income. 

During  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war 
Mr.  Alexander  enlisted  August  6,  1862,  and 
followed  the  varying  fortunes  of  war  in  the 
campaign  from  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  to 
Munfordville,  that  state,  where  he  was  taken 
prisoner  on  the  17th  of  September,  1862, 
but  was  paroled  forty-eight  hours  later  and 
sent  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  was  kept  until 
exchanged  in  April,  1863.  Being  taken  ill 
he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Stone  River, 
July  3,  1863,  and  was  later  transferred  to 
hospital  No.  9  at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  detailed  to  go  to  New 
York,  but  was  again  taken  ill  and  returned 
to  the  hospital  at  Louisville,  where  he  re- 
mained until  discharged  from  the  service 
August  4,  1863.  All  this  trouble  was  caused 
by  measles  and  his  lungs  being  affected. 

Wdiile  a  prisoner  of  war  Mr.  Alexander 


was  married  ()ctol)er  19,  1862,  to  Miss 
Charlotta  Humphreys,  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Elizabeth  (Hardsley)  LIumphreys,  who 
belonged  to  old  Kentucky  .families.  By  this 
union  the  following  children  lia\c  been  born, 
namely:  Elmer  E.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years;  Josephine,  who 
married  J.  B.  Davenport  and  has  three  cliil- 
dren,  Gail.  Ralph  and  Carrie:  Harvey 
G.,  who  resides  in  Chicago  and  is  connected 
with  a  wholesale  seed  store  in  that 
city;  Emma  B.,  who  married  William 
H.  Davenport  and  has  two  children,  Marie 
and  Hattie;  Sherman  and  Sheridan,  twins, 
the  former  a  plasterer  of  Kokomo,  Indi- 
ana, and  the  latter  a  member  of  the 
Third  United  States  Cavalry,  who  was  sta- 
tioned at  Asynaboyne,  Montana,  for  a  time, 
but  is  now  in  Evanston,  Illinois;  and  Mrs. 
Carrie  Tyler,  wdio  lives  in  Morrisonville  and 
has  two  children,  George  and  Ralph. 

Besides  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
Mr.  Alexander  has  served  as  mayor  of  Mor- 
risonville and  as  assessor  of  the  township. 
He  is  public  spirited  and  progressive  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
adopted  county,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  ad- 
vance her  interests.  In  all  the  relations  of 
life  he  has  been  found  true  and  faithful  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  him. 


C.  A.  MANNERS. 

In  the  history  of  the  men  of  the  past  and 
l)resent  who  have  figured  prominently  in 
Taylorville  in  connection  with  its  public  af- 
fairs, its  substantial  progress  and  its  up- 
building C.  A.  Manners  should  be  men- 
tioned. He  was  a  leading  railroad  builder 
of  this  part  of  the  state  and  his  active  and 
honorable  career  won  him  the  unqualified 
confidence  and  esteem  of  those  with  whom 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS.  201 

he  was  associated.     He  was  born  in  Somer-  went  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  where  he  was 

set  county,  New  Jersey,  on  the  2d  of  August,  engaged  in  mining  for  a  number  of  years, 

1827,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Penelope  after  which  he  returned  to  Christian  county 

Manners.      When   quite  young  he  went  to  and  here  spent  his  remaining  days, 

sea,  spending  eight  years  on  the  water,  after  On  the  2d  of  October,   1861,  Mr.  Man- 

which  he  returned  to  New  Jersey  and  com-  ners  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza- 

pleted  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  beth  A.  Long,  a  daughter  of  Major  Thomas 

state.      Manifesting   special   aptitude   in  his  Long,    of   Taylorville,    who   built    the   first 

studies  he  soon  became  qualified  for  teaching  hotel  in  this  city.     He  won  his  title  by  serv- 

and  followed  that  pursuit  for  two  terms.  ice  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.     His  son,  Fran- 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  Man-  cis   Monroe  Long,   enlisted  in    1861    in  the 

ners  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  west  Union  Army,  became  captain  of  Company 

and   made   his  way  to   Illinois,   locating  in  G   of   the   Forty-first   Regiment   of   Illinois 

Christian  county  in   185 1,  among  its  early  Volunteers,  was  later  promoted  to  the  rank 

settlers.     From  that  time  until  his  death  he  of  major,  and  in  1863  died  of  wounds  sus- 

was  an  active  supporter  of  all  measures  for  tained    on    the    field    of   battle.     Unto    Mr. 

the  general  good  and  as  a  business  man  he  and  Mrs.  Manners  were  born  two  children : 

became  well  known.     In  the  year  of  his  ar-  Frances  C,  now  the  wife  of  G.  T.  Horner^ 

rival    he    was    elected    county    surveyor    of  of  Taylorville;  and  Thomas  ].,  who  died  in 

Christian  county  and  acted  in  that  capacity  1887. 

for  three  years.  In  1859  he  became  connected  Mr.  Manners  held  membership  with  the 
with  the  surveying  department  of  the  United  Masonic  fraternity  in  Taylorville,  and  in 
States,  to  fix  the  boundary  between  the  states  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  believing  in  the 
of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  .he  continued  principles  of  the  party  which  he  therefore 
upon  the  public  surveys  of  the  latter  state  un-  stanchly  advocated.  A  self-made  man,  he 
til  i860.  In  that  year  he  returned  to  Illinois  deserved  the  highest  praise  which  that  term 
and  in  1862  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Chris-  implies.  He  was  resolute  and  industrious 
tian  county,  which  position  he  filled  with  and  he  utilized  his  time  to  the  best  advan- 
promptness,  fidelity  and  fearlessness  for  two  tage.  As  the  years  passed  his  labors  re- 
years.  Mr.  Manners  then  began  contracting  suited  in  bringing  to  him  splendid  success 
for  the  construction  of  railroads  and  was  one  and  he  also  gained  an  untarnished  reputa- 
of  the  oldest  and  most  successful  railroad  tion  by  reason  of  his  fidelity  to  the  ethics 
builders  of  the  west  at  that  time.  He  thor-  which  control  commercial  and  industrial 
oughly  understood  the  mechanical  jjrinciples  life.  He  passed  away  in  1887,  leaving  to 
underlying  railroad  construction  and  the  his  family  an  untarnished  record.  His 
work  wdiich  he  performed  was  always  of  a  widow  now  owns  fourteen  huntlred  acres  of 
most  satisfactory  character.  It  was  his  cus-  land  near  Taylorville  and  also  the  residence 
tom  to  carry  forward  to  successful  comple-  occupied  by  herself  and  her  brother.  Her 
tion  whatever  he  undertook  and  as  a  result  farming  interests  are  very  valuable  and  re- 
of  his  business  ability,  careful  management  turn  to  her  a  splendid  rental,  which  enables 
and  unfaltering  energy  he  accumulated  a  her  to  enjoy  all  .of  the  comforts  and  many  of 
very  desirable  competence.     At  one  time  he  the  luxuries  of  life. 


202 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


DORICE  DWIGHT  SIIUMWAY. 

Prominent  among-  the  energetic,  farsee- 
ing  and  successful  business  men  of  Taylor- 
ville  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  integrity, 
activity  and  energy  have  been  the  crowning 
Doints  of  his  success,  and  his  connection  with 

J. 

various  enterprises  and  industries  has  been 
of  decided  advantage  to  the  city  and  county, 
promoting  their  material  welfare  in  no  un- 
certain manner. 

A  native  of  Christian  county,  Mr.  Shum- 
way  was  born  on  a  farm,  about  four  miles 
east  of  Taylorville.  December  19.  1845.  ^"<^1 
is  the  second  son  and  third  child  in  the  fam- 
ily of  D.  D.  and  Emily  R.  A.  (Rountree) 
Shumway.  He  spent  the  first  few  years  of 
his  life  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born, 
and  his  education  was  begun  in  the  country 
schools.  After  the  remo\al  of  the  family 
to  Taylorville,  he  attended  the  city  schools 
for  a  short  time,  also  the  academy  at  Hills- 
lx)ro. 

Mr.  Shumway  began  his  business  career 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  In  the  spring 
of  1857,  he  entered  the  store  of  W.  W. 
Anderson  as  clerk.  He  worked  for  Mr.  An- 
derson until  the  fall  of  i860,  at  the  same 
time  serving  as  deputy  postmaster  of  Tay- 
lorville. His  health  failing,  he  returned  to 
his  father's  farm  and  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1863,  when  he  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity at  Normal,  Illinois,  remaining  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1863  and  1864,  '^^it  failing 
health  again  caused  him  to  abandon  his 
studies.  He  taught  a  country  school  in  the 
winter  of  1864  and  1865. 

It  was  in  1866  that  I\Ir.  Shumway  com- 
menced business  on  his  own  account,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  his  uncle,  A.  H.  H. 
Rountree  in  merchandising  at  Hillsboro, 
which  connection  was  maintained  until  the 
1st  of  January.  1869.  when  Mr.  Shumway 
sold  his  interest  in  the  store  to  his  partner 


and  returned  to  Taylorville  to  become  a  part- 
ner in  tile  firm  of  Shumway  &  Sons,  pro- 
prietors of  a  general  store.  The  death  of 
his  father,  which  occurred  in  the  spring  of 
1870,  necessitated  the  closing  out  of  this 
Ijusiness.  During  the  following  summer, 
our  subject  and  his  brother,  H.  P.  Shumway, 
compiled  the  first  set  of  abstract  books  made 
in  Christian  county.  These  books  are  now 
in  use  in  the  abstract  office  in  this  city. 

In  1 87 1  ]\Ir.  Shumway  became  interested 
in  the  banking  business,  in  partnership  with 
W.  W.  Anderson,  under  the  firm  name  of 
W.  W.  Anderson  &  Company,  and  in  1874 
they  opened  a  branch  house  at  Pana,  Illinois, 
under  the  name  of  Anderson  &  Shumway. 
which  was  transferred  later  to  Messrs.  Hay- 
ward  &  Schuyler  of  that  place.  On  his  re- 
turn to  Taylorville,  Mr.  Shumway  assumed 
the  management  of  the  banking  business 
here,  and  continued  in  charge  until  1882, 
when  he  retired  from  the  firm. 

He  subsequently  opened  a  grocery  store, 
which  he  carried  on  until  1889.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Taylorville  Coal  Com- 
pany, in  1887,  he  became  one  of  the  stock- 
holders and  was  made  its  secretary.  In 
1890  he  was  made  president  and  general 
manager  and  retained  that  position  until  its 
merger  with  the  Springfield  Coal  Mining- 
Company  in  January,  1903.  J\Ir.  Shumway 
retained  an  interest  in  the  Springfield  Coal 
Mining  Company  and  is  vice  president  and 
treasurer  of  same.  The  Spring-field  Coal 
Mining  Company  is  operating  six  coal  mines 
in  Sangamon  and  Christian  counties,  having 
an  annual  output  at  this  time  of  more  than 
a  million  and  a  quarter  tons  annually.  This 
company  has  nearly  two  thousand  men  in 
its  employ  and  ranks  one  of  the  largest  coal 
producers  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Shumway  does  not  confine  his  at- 
tention alone  to  the  coal  industry,  but  is  also 


^yy .  0. . 


r 


//////// v/// 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


205 


engaged  in  farming  and  stockraising;  is 
president  and  largest  stockholder  in  the 
Christian  Connty  Implement  Company  and 
The  Henson  &  Cheney  Hardware  Company, 
both  of  these  concerns  doing  a  large  and 
lucrative  business;  is  stockholder,  director 
and  vice  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank,  and  also  owner  of  nearly  all  the  stock 
in  the  Citizens  Gas  Light  &  Fuel  Company, 
which  is  operated  by  his  son  G.  F.  Shumway, 
who  is  president  and  general  manager.  Mr. 
Shumway  also  owns  an  interest  in  and  is 
treasurer  of  the  Taylorville  Electric  Com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Shumway  was  married  September  25, 
1877,  in  Salem,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Mary  Ida 
Finley,  the  only  child  of  Dr.  W.  M.  and 
Lucy  W.  Finley,  of  that  place.  She  was 
born  in  White  county,  Illinois,  and  comes 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  southern 
Illinois.  Three  chikh'en  have  been  born  of 
this  union,  namely :  Glenn  Finley,  Hiram 
McLain  and  Dorice  Dwight.  Mrs.  Shum- 
way takes  a  leading  part  in  all  social  func- 
tions in  the  city,  being  prominent  in  woman's 
clul)  work.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  church. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Shumway  served  in 
the  city  council  and  w^as  chairman  of  the 
board  of  water  works,  which  had  charge  of 
the  construction  of  the  present  efficient  sys- 
tem now  in  use.  He  is  public  spirited  in  an 
eminent  degree  and  never  withholds  his  sup- 
port from  any  enterprise  which  he  believes 
calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  city 
and  county.  He  has  an  extensive  circle  of 
friends  and  acc[uaintances  throughout  the 
state. 


REV.  JOSEPH  DECHENE. 

Rev.  Joseph  Dechene,  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church  at  Assumption,  v.^as 
born  on  the  Rhine,  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Ger- 


many, May  29,  1852,  a  son  of  Joseph  C.  and 
Theresia  (de  Beus)  Dechene,  the  former 
born  in  Aix-la-Chapelle,  February  i,  1816, 
the  latter  born  May  i,  1821.  The  grand- 
father, Egidius  Dechene,  was  archivist  in 
the  courthouse  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  for  forty 
years  and  died  in  1849,  ^^  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years.  The  mother's  people  were  of 
French  birth.  Unto  the  parents  of  Rev. 
Dechene  were  born  eight  children,  of  whom 
he  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  He  is 
now  the  only  one  living,  having  survived 
his  parents,  two  sisters  and  five  brothers. 
His  father  was  a  shoe  merchant. 

Rev.  Joseph  Dechene  pursued  a  college 
course  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  and  afterward  be- 
came a  student  in  the  University  of  Lou- 
vain,  Belgium,  in  which  institution  he  com- 
pleted the  courses  in  philosophy  and  theol- 
ogy and  was  graduated  on  the  ist  of  July, 
1878.  After  leaving  college  he  pursued  the 
study  of  architecture  and  mechanism  at  the 
Polytechnicum  in  Aix-la-Chapelle,  having 
an  opportunity  to  receive  instruction  in 
those  branches  without  cost.  Flis  time  was 
thus  largely  occupied  in  1869  and  1870.  He 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  the  cathe- 
dral at  Mechlin,  Belgium,  on  the  i6th  of 
June,  1878 — two  weeks  before  his  gradua- 
tion from  the  University  of  Louvain.  His 
entire  education  was  received  in  Europe  and 
in  October,  1878,  he  came  to  America  to 
enter  upon  the  work  of  the  church  in  the 
new  world.  In  November  he  was  sent  to 
take  charge  of  the  congregation  of  St. 
Mary's  in  Assumption,  where  he  remained 
until  May,  1880,  when  he  resigned.  In  May 
of  the  following  year  he  returned  to  Europe 
and  became  an  assistant  pastor  in  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  but  in  1883  he  again  came  tO'  the 
United  States,  and  has  at  different  times 
been  pastor  of  Catholic  churches  in  central 


236 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Illinois,  at  Springfield.  Litchfield,  Mount 
Sterling  and  Assumption. 

In  1894  Father  Dechene  made  an  ex- 
tended trip  to  Europe,  visiting  Germany, 
Belgium,  Holland,  France,  Italy,  Spain  and 
Portugal.  He  went  especially  for  historical 
purposes  and  remained  abroad  for  about  six 
months.  In  October,  1897,  he  again  became 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Assumption,  where 
he  has  since  remained.  In  the  same  year 
he  took  out  naturalization  ])apers  and  be- 
came an  iVmerican  citizen,  and  since  that 
time  his  views  and  efforts  have  been  demo- 
cratic in  the  true  American  sense  of  the 
word.  He  is  a  confirmed  opponent  of  social- 
ism and  of  anarchy  and  on  the  contrary  is  a 
lover  of  public  order  as  prescribed  by  his 
church,  country  and  state.  Since  October, 
1892,  he  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  Christian 
Art,  the  headquarters  of  which  are  at  Mu- 
nich, Germany.  A  man  of  scholarly  attain- 
ments and  wide  learning  he  speaks  several 
languages  and  is  thus  able  to  read  the  liter- 
ature of  many  countries  in  the  original.  He 
is  a  most  zealous  and  earnest  worker  for  his 
church  and  people,  and  under  his  guidance 
St.  Mary's  has  made  rapid  and  substantial 
advance  in  membership  and  spiritual  growth. 

In  this  connection  it  will  certainly  be  in- 
teresting to  know  something  of  the  history 
of  the  church.  The  first  Catholic  colony 
was  established  at  Assumption  in  1857,  by 
Hon.  E.  E.  Malhiat,  who  had  l)ought  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  this  locality  from  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  The  first  resi- 
dent priest  was  Father  Charles  Gonant,  who 
had  been  ordained  only  a  short  time  before 
in  the  cathedral  at  Alton,  Illinois,  by  Rt. 
Rev.  J.  T.  Junker,  first  bishop  of  Alton,  in 
1858.  The  next  priest  was  Father  Detour, 
the  third  Father  Bedard,  the  fourth  Father 
Recouvreur   and   the   fifth    Father   Jacques. 


Up  to  the  year  1870  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  church  were  managed  by  the  priest  with 
the  assistance  of  a  committee  variously  ap- 
pointed. In  1870  a  board  of  trustees  was 
regularly  incorporated  under  the  state  law 
passed  by  the  Illinois  legislature  in  1869. 
The  first  board  of  trustees  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  congregation  of  Assumption  was 
composed  of  the  following  gentlemen :  Rt. 
Rev.  P.  J.  Baltes,  second  bishop  of  Alton ; 
V.  Rev.  J.  Jansen,  chancellor  and  vicar  gen- 
eral ;  Rev.  J.  A.  Jaccjues ;  David  Bourdelais, 
Sr.,  and  John  Cashin.  The  papers  of  in- 
corporation were  signed  in  the  presence  of 
'Squire  Rains  and  duly  recorded  in  Taylor- 
ville.  On  the  7th  of  June,  1871,  the  second 
annual  board  of  trustees  came  into  power, 
being  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop,  tlie  vicar  gen- 
eral, the  ofiiciating  priest  and  David  Bour- 
delais, Sr.,  and  Joseph  Turgeon.  These  two 
gentlemen  were  appointed  by  the  bishop  to 
serve  on  the  board  until  the  ist  of  January, 
1873,  as  found  in  the  church  records. 

The  first  general  subscription  for  a  new 
church  was  made  January  15,  1867.  The 
subscriptions,  fairs  and  festivals  provided 
the  means  required  for  building  the  new 
church.  By  September  i,  1872,  the  church 
was  under  roof,  Init  without  doors  and  win- 
dows, unfloored  and  unplastered,  the  lot  un- 
fenced  and  a  del)t  of  seven  hundred  dollars, 
bearing  ten  per  cent,  interest,  had  been  in- 
curred. There  was  neither  priest  house  nor 
schoolhouse  until  June,  1874,  when  the  first 
priest  house  was  built,  the  following  gentle- 
men constituting  the  committee  having  this 
in  charge :  Patrick  h^)ley,  Edmund  Trot- 
tier,  Michael  Krebs,  Alie  Michael  and  David 
Lacharlte.  Tlic  house  was  put  up  for  eight 
lumdrcd  dollars.  For  want  of  funds  the 
stairs  and  many  other  things  were  left  un- 
finished. Toward  the  end  of  1874  Father 
Jac(|ues  left  the  congregation. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


207 


In  the  spring  of  1875  Rev.  Caspar  With- 
oph,    born    in    Germany,    educated    for   the 
priesthood  in  the  American  College  at  Lou- 
vain,  Belgium,  took  charge  of  the  congrega- 
tion, remaining  until  August,  1878.     There 
was  a  long  succession  of  bad  crops  in  this 
state  and  thus  funds  could  not  be  secured  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  improvement  in  the 
church  property.    The  church  was  still  with- 
out plastering  or  ceiling  and  the  house  in  a 
very  unsatisfactory  condition  when  Rev.  De- 
chene  took  the  place  in  1878,  as  the  successor 
of  Rev.  Father  Kempen.   Under  the  adminis- 
tration of   Rev.   Father  Dechene,  however, 
many  improvements  were  made,  the  church 
being  plastered  and  ceiled,  the  house  painted 
and    furnished.      The   funds   for   these   im- 
provements were  raised  by  subscription  and 
fairs.    In  May,  1880,  Rev.  Dechene  resigned 
and  in  November  of  that  year  Rev.  Adam 
Leufgen  became  pastor  of  the  congregation. 
He  took  up  a  subscription  and  bought  a  new 
bell  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.     In 
May,   188 1,  illness  compelled  him  to  go  to 
the  hospital  and  the  congregation  remained 
without  a  rector  for  six  months.     Rev.  P.  J. 
Virnich,  of  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  said  mass  a 
few    Sundays   in   the   church    during   those 
months.    Rev.  A.  J.  Pennartz,  like  his  three 
immediate  predecessors,  was  a  native  of  the 
Rhine  province  of  Germany  and  like  them 
also'  a  pupil  in  Louvain.     He  became  rector 
in   October,    1881.      He  found   some   three 
hundred  dollars  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees 
intended  for  the  building  of  a  steeple,  but 
the  woodwork  and  roof  of  the  church  need- 
ing repairing  it  was  decided  to  use  the  money 
in  that  way.     In  1888  Father  Pennartz  was 
promoted  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  Peter's  and 
Paul's  church,   at   Spring-field,   Illinois,   and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  Ader,  whose  ad- 
ministration was  cjuite  successful  as  he  made 
many   improvements  and  greatly   increased 


the  financial  strength  of  the  church.  In  1895 
Father  Mahoney  took  charge  and  in,  Feb- 
ruary, 1897,  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Carroll,  a  zealous  and  very  successful  young- 
priest,  wdio  left  the  congregation  in  October 
of  that  year,  when  Father  Dechene  again 
became  its  pastor,  taking  charge  a  second 
time,  after  an  absence  of  sixteen  years. 
During  his  administration  the  parochial 
school  has  been  established  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pupils  in  attendance.  A  com- 
modious schoolhouse  of  beautiful  design 
was  erected  in  1900  and  in  1903  a  new  resi- 
dence for  the  Dominican  Sisters  who  have 
charge  of  the  school.  The  same  year  the 
new  pastoral  residence  was  built — a  credit 
to  the  congregation  i^nd  an  ornament  to  the 
city.  The  aggregate  cost  of  these  improve- 
ments was  twelve  thousand  dollars,  almost 
all  paid  down  and  the  balance  being  secured 
by  subscriptions,  so  that  St.  Mary's  church 
is  one  of  the  best  equipped  in  the  way  of  im- 
provements and  financial  standing  in  central 
Illinois. 


OTIS  LITTLE. 

Otis  Little,  deceased,  was  numbered 
among  the  honored  pioneers  of  this  section 
of  the  state,  having  come  to  the  Mississippi 
valley  when  this  region  was  wild  and  unim- 
proved. In  the  work  of  development  he 
took  an  active  part  in  early  days  and  aided 
in  opening  up  the  country  to  civilization. 
As  the  years  passed  he  faithfully  performed 
his  duties  of  citizenship  and  his  interest  in 
the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community 
never  abated.  Becoming  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  he  made  many  friends  and  his 
death  was  a  loss  to  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Little  was  born  in  New  Hampshire 
on  the  22d  of  August,  181 5,  and  was  one  of 
a  family  of  eight  children,  all  now  deceased. 


208 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


One  of  his  brothers  was  Robert  Little,  whose 
sketch  appears  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume. Betw  een  the  two  there  was  the  deep- 
est love  and  sympathy  and  a  companionship 
that  was  only  broken  by  the  hand  of  death. 
Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  east  and  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Ohio.  In  1838  he 
joined  his  brother  Robert,  who  had  settled 
at  Audubon,  Montgomery  county,  Illinois, 
in  the  fall  of  1838,  and  there  he  developed  a 
good  farm,  which  continued  to  be  his  home 
until  called  to  his  final  rest  on  the  2d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1872.  His  remains  were  interred  in 
the  Rosemond  cemetery. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1850,  Mr.  Little  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Charity  L.  Smidi, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  Stephen  and  Sarah  K. 
(Whitmore)  Smith,  who  were  natives  of 
Vermont  and  New  Hampshire,  respectively. 
For  some  years  the  father  was  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  at  Wheelersburg, 
Ohio,  at  which  place  he  died  when  Mrs.  Lit- 
tle was  only  two  years  and  a  half  old.  Her 
brother  Stephen  was  born  three  days  after 
the  father's  death.  In  the  family  were  three 
children,  the  eldest  being  Jane,  who  married 
Perkins  Mills  and  died  in  Pana,  leaving  two 
children :  Hiram  M.,  now  principal  of  a 
school  at  Delaware,  Ohio;  and  Sarah  J., 
wife  of  Clinton  Howard,  whose  sketch  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  work.  Stephen  M. 
Smith,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  mar- 
ried in  Ohio  to  Nancy  Thompson  and  sub- 
sequently made  his  home  in  Pana,  Illinois, 
where  his  death  occurred.  Of  his  six  chil- 
dren two  are  still  living:  J.  Will,  who  is 
also  represented  in  this  volume;  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  J.  Weaver,  of  Pana.  On  the  14II1 
of  April,  1848,  Mrs.  Little  came  to  Illinois 
in  company  with  her  mother  and  brother, 
the  journey  being  made  by  steamboat  to  St. 
Louis  and  thence  across  the  country  by  road 
to    Audubon,    Montgomery    county.     Mrs, 


Smith  took  up  a  farm  on  the  prairie,  and  for 
the  second  time  assisted  in  the  development 
of  a  new  state,  as  she  had  gone  to  Ohio 
about  18 14  and  settled  on  what  was  known 
as  the  first  grant.  While  a  resident  of  that 
state  she  saw  the  first  steamboat  that  ever 
w-ent  down  the  Ohio  river,  it  being  built  at 
I'ittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  From  her  early 
home  in  New  Hampshire  she  made  the  trip 
to  Ohio  in  a  spring  wagon.  She  was  related 
to  Nathaniel  Whitmore,  wdio  went  to  sea  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  and  continued  on  the 
water  for  nineteen  years.  He  steadily  arose 
from  the  position  of  cabin  boy  to  ow'ner  of 
a  vessel.     His  father  was  a  shipbuilder. 

Mrs.  Little  was  reared  and  educated  at 
Wheelersburg,  Ohio,  and  was  a  young  lady 
on  coming  to  this  state.  After  the  death  of 
her  husband  she  sold  her  farm  and  removed 
to  Pana,  where  she  has  since  made  her  home, 
occupying  an  elegant  brick  residence  on 
South  Locust  street.  She  is  well  preserved 
for  one  of  lier  years  and  possesses  a  remark- 
able memory.  She  has  been  an  eye  witness 
of  the  wonderful  transformation  that  has 
been  wrought  in  Montgomery  and  Christian 
counties  in  the  last  fifty-fi\-e  years,  having 
witnessed  their  development  from  a  sparsely 
settled  wilderness  into  a  thickly  populated 
district  containing  fine  farms  and  thriving 
towns.  She  is  widely  known  and  is  held  in 
the  hiohest  reeard  bv  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances. 


I.  T.  KRAMER. 


I.  T.  Kramer,  who  is  now  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  section  i.  Bear  Creek  township,  was  born 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1862,  in  Sangamon 
county,  Illinois,  where  his  parents,  John  E. 
and  Eliza  Jane  (Beam)  Kramer,  still  con- 
tinue to  reside.     The  father  is  a  native  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


209 


Pennsylvania.  In  the  county  of  his  nativity 
our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  in  much 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  toys,  pursuing 
his  studies  in  the  district  schools  and  early 
acquiring  a  good  knowledge  of  every  depart- 
ment of  farm  work. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  Mr.  Kra- 
mer commenced  working  by  the  month  as 
a  farm  hand  and  was  thus  employed  until 
he  was  nineteen  years  old,  when  he  rented  a 
farm  in  Curran  township,  Sangamon  county, 
and  engaged  in  its  operation  from  1882  until 
1886.  He  then  removed  to  Prairieton  town- 
ship, where  he  was  engaged  in  cultivation 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  farm 
land.  He  next  removed  to  his  present  place 
in  Bear  Creek  township  and  is  engaged  in 
the  cultivation  of  two'  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  He  also  gives  considerable  attention 
to  the  raising  of  stock  and  the  success  that 
has  attended  his  efforts  is  due  entirely  to  his 
own  industry,  perseverance  and  good  man- 
agement for  he  started  out  in  life  empty- 
handed  and  has  made  his  own  way  in  the 
world  unaided  from  the  age  of  seventeen, 
when  he  gave  his  father  a  horse  and  fifty  dol- 
lars in  cash  for  his  time.  He  has  worked 
hard  and  well  deserves  the  success  that  has 
come  to  him. 

In  1882  Mr.  Kramer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Lydia  Kelly,  a  daughter  of 
John  Kelly,  who  was  a  native  of  this  state. 
She  died  in  March,  1889,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Birdie  E.,  Grover  Leslie, 
Frank  and  Ruth  F.  Fraternally  Mr.  Kra- 
mer is  an  honored  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge  at  Moweaqua,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Court  of  Honor  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  and  takes  quite  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  local  politics.  While  a 
resident   of   Prairieton   township   he  serverl 


as  highway  commissioner,  and  is  now  filling 
the  offices  of  school  director  and  county  su- 
pervisor from  Bear  Creek  township. 


JOSEPH  MARION  LITTLE,  B.S.,  M.D. 

Dr.  Joseph  M.  Little,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery  at  Rosemond,  was  born  near  Ramsey, 
Fayette  county,  Illinois,  on  the  i8th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  Lawson 
and  Mary  E.  (Gray)  Little.  The  father, 
who  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  died  in,  1891, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years,  but  the  mother 
is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
East  St.  Louis.  Of  the  eight  children  born 
to  them  seven  reached  years  of  maturity  and 
six  of  the  number  are  still  living,  five  sons 
and  one  daughter.  Four  of  the  sons  are 
physicians  and  are  graduates  of  St.  Louis 
colleges,  while  the  other  is  now  attending 
medical  college. 

In  this  family  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Little  is  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  accjuired  in  the  district  schools  of 
his  native  county,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  honors  in  1887,  ranking  the  highest  in 
his  class.  This  class  was  the  first  to  be  grad- 
uated from  any  public  school  in  the  county. 
After  receiving  his  certificate  he  was  en- 
abled to  carry  out  his  chosen  desire  to  teach 
school  and  successfully  followed  that  pur- 
suit in  Fayette  county  for  three  years.  He 
then  entered  the  normal  school  at  Valpa- 
raiso, Indiana,  where  he  was  a  student  for 
four  years  and  a  half,  and  from  which  insti- 
tution he  secured  five  diplomas  in  the  differ- 
ent departments — the  teacher's,  commercial, 
penmanship,  elocution  and  scientific.  It  also 
conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  B.  S.  He 
has  some  highly  prized  souvenirs  of  his  col- 
lege days  at  Valparaiso,  one  of  which  is  a 
scroll  of  his  own  penmanship  representing 


210 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Diana  of  the  Chase,  and  ihe  t)ther  is  the 
Lord's  Prayer  in  a  l)cautiful  design.  As  an 
elocutionist  he  ranked  high  and  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Hterary  society  of  the  college, 
presiding  at  the  hnal  exercises.  He  was 
afterward  principal  of  the  schools  of  Vir- 
ginia City,  Montana,  one  year.  Having  de- 
cided to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he 
then  matriculated  at  the  Missouri  Medical 
College  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  a  class  of  eighty  in  1899,  and  imme- 
diately afterward  came  to  Rosemond,  Illi- 
nois,  where  he  purchased  the  office  and  prac- 
tice of  Dr.  G.  S.  Wilson,  who  moved  to  No- 
komis.  Here  our  suhject  hegan  practice  on 
Decoration  Day,  1899,  and  his  skill  and  ahil- 
ity  is  attested  by  the  liberal  patronage  which 
he  now  enjoys  and  which  ranks  him  as  one 
of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  county.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  District  Medical  Society 
and  is  local  examining  physician  for  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Mutual 
Protective  League,  the  Court  of  Honor,  the 
Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal  Americans,  the 
Yeoman  of  America,  the  New  York  Life 
Insurance  Company  and  the  IMutual  Life 
Lisurance  Company. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1902,  Dr.  Little 
was  married  in  Rosemond  to  Miss  Maud 
Richards,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Rose- 
mond high  school,  after  which  she  took  a 
course  in  music  and  history  at  the  Illinois 
Woman's  College  at  Jacksonville.  She  has 
served  as  organist  in  the  Congregational 
church  for  several  years  and  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  same.  Her  father,  C.  G.  Rich- 
ards, is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
Rosamond  township.  He  was  born  near 
Canton,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  March  21, 
1839,  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Anna  (Gar- 
ber)  Richards,  who  were  married  near  that 
city.  On  reaching  manhood  C.  G.  Richards 
was  married  October  3,  1867,  to  Lucy  Yant, 


a  daughter  of  Daniel  ^^•mt,  and  to  them 
were  horn  four  children,  one  of  wdiom  died 
in  infancy  and  Arthur  died  at  the  age  of  six 
years.  Mrs.  Little  is  the  next  of  the  family. 
Blanch,  the  youngest,  is  at  home  with  her 
parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards  are  active 
members  of  the  First  Congregational  church 
of  Rosemond  and  are  held  in  high  regard 
l)y  all  who  know  them. 

In  national  affairs  Dr.  Little  always  sup- 
ports the  Democratic  party,  but  at  local  elec- 
tions is  not  bound  by  party  ties,  voting  for 
the  men  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to 
fill  the  offices.  Wherever  he  goes  he  wins 
friends  and  has  the  happy  faculty  of  being 
able  to  retain  them.  His  popularity  has 
made  him  a  great  favorite  in  all  circles. 


HAYDEN  and  ALLEN  ETTINGER. 

Hayden  and  Allen  Ettinger.  brothers,  are 
•well  known  and  prominent  residents  of 
Christian  county.  They  spend  much  of 
their  time  in  Taylorville,  but  are  closely  con- 
nected with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
countv  and  have  extensive  and  valuable 
realty  possessions.  The  former  was  born  in 
Taylorville  and  the  latter  in  May  township, 
this  county. 

Their  .  maternal  grandfather,  Stephen 
Willey,  now  deceased,  was  a  leading  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  Christian  county,  coming 
here  when  the  district  was  a  frontier  region 
in  which  the  work  of  progress  and  upbuild- 
ing had  scarcely  begun.  For  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  he  was  active  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  good  of  the  community 
and  his  co-operation  proved  a  beneficial  fac- 
tor in  many  measures  for  the  public  good. 
He  was  a  native  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio, 
born  June  7.  1827.  and  was  of  French  and 
English  lineage.  His  boyhood  and  youth 
were  passed  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


211 


in  1843  he  came  with  his  parents  to  IlHnois, 
at  which  time  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Chris- 
tian county,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
(lays.  He  laid  out  and  founded  the  town  of 
Willey  and  he  was  particularly  active  in  the 
agricultural  development  of  the  county.  On 
the  26th  of  December,  1849,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Blunt,  who  was 
born  in  Tennessee,  March  10,  1831,  and  in 
her  girlhood  days  came  to  Christian  county 
with  her  parents.  She  was  of  English  and 
Irish  descent.  In  his  business  affairs  Mr. 
Willey  prospered,  capably  conducting  his 
interests  so  that  they  brought  to  him  a  splen- 
did financial  return,  making  him  one  of  the 
prosperous  residents  of  the  community. 

In  the  Willey  family  were  two  children. 
The  daughter,  Mary,  became  the  w'ife  of 
William  Ettinger,  who  was  a  native  of  Dau- 
phin county.  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  occur- 
ring October  17,  1841.  For  a  number  of 
years  Mr.  Ettinger  conducted  a  harness  store 
in  Taylorville  and  w^as  an  enterprising  busi- 
ness man  of  the  city.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  joined  the  Eighteenth  Penn- 
sylvania Cavalry  for  service  in  the  Union 
Army  and  for  nearly  four  years  was  with 
that  command,  participating  in  forty-two 
engagements,  never  faltering  in  the  per- 
formance of  any  duty  whereby  the  Union 
cause  was  advanced.    He  died  in  1882. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ettinger  were  born 
three  children.  Hayden,  the  eldest,  was 
born  July  i,  1873,  and  secured  a  good  edu- 
cation, after  which  he  remained  with  his 
mother  until  her  death  and  is  still  living  on 
the  farm.  Jessie,  born  July  10,  1877,  died 
in  1897.  Allen,  born  May  6,  1881,  was  edu- 
cated in  Christian  Brothers  College  at  St. 
Louis  and  is  now  associated  with  his  brother 
in  business,  his  home  being  in  Taylorville. 
They  own  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land  in  May  township,  constituting 


one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county,  and  also 
have  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Taylorville 
township.  They  spend  most  of  their  time 
superintending  their  property  interests. 

Mrs.  Ettinger  w-as  born  on  a  farm  near 
Taylorville,  this  county,  March  15,  185 1, 
and  pursued  her  education  in  the  public 
schools  here  and  a  private  institution  at 
Springfield,  Illinois.  On  the  28th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1 87 1,  she  was  married  to  William  Et- 
tinger and  w^as  to  him  a  faithful  companion 
until  his  death  in  1882.  After  that  sad 
event  she  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  suc- 
cessfully continued  its  management. 
Throu2:h  her  own  well  directed  efforts  she 
became  a  person  of  influence,  both  in  the  ag- 
ricultural world  and  the  financial  standing 
in  Christian  county.  She  was  a  woman  of 
excellent  business  ability  and  by  her  own 
industry  amassed  a  large  fortune  and  estate, 
being  the  wealthiest  woman  in  tJie  county  at 
the  time  of  her  death.  She  possessed  many 
admirable  qualities  and  her  loving  disposi- 
tion and  kindly  ways  won  for  her  a  host  of 
friends.  Few  women  would  have  been  able 
to  achieve  the  wonderful  success  that  Mrs. 
Ettinger  did  under  the  same  circumstances. 
She  resided  on  the  farm  until  1897,  when 
she  took  up  her  residence  in  Taylorville  and 
there  maintained  her  home  until  her  death. 
She  passed  away  September  20,  1899,  at 
Springfield,  Illinois,  where  she  had  gone  to 
seek  expert  medical  and  surgical  treatment. 
Ller  remains  were  interred  in  Oak  Hill  cem- 
etery and  her  demise  was  mourned  by  all 
who  knew  her. 


SMITH  OYLER. 


Smith  Oyler,  a  well  known  agriculturist 
of  Taylorville  township,  now  living  on  sec- 
tion 9,  w^as  born  in  Alabama  on  the  12th  of 
October,   1840.     His   father,  Daniel  Oyler, 


,A_. 


V 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


215 


Carolina,  in  1780;  and  was  a  son  of  Andrew 
McCormick,    Sr.,   who    emigrated    to    this 
country  from    Ireland    some   time   between 
1746  and    1750.      It  w^as  thought   that   he 
was  born  in  Scotland  and  was  undoubtedly 
of  Scotch  descent.     In  Pennsylvania  he  met 
and  married  Catharine  Adams,  a  daughter 
of  John  Adams,  who  w^as  born  either  In  Hol- 
land or  one  of  the  German  provinces,  and 
while  still  a  youth  he  and  a  sister  came  with 
a  colony  of  Calvinist  Protestants  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  New  Jersey.    After  his  mar- 
riaee  Mr.  Adams  made  his  home  on  or  near 
the  Delaware  river,  not  far  from  Philadel- 
phia, until  the  fall  of  1776,  when  that  part 
oi  the  country  was  overrun  by  Cornwallis' 
army,   and  then   removed   to   Pennsylvania 
and  still  later  to  Virginia.     About  the  close 
of  the  year  1777  he  located  permanently  in 
Rowan  county.   North   Carolina.      He  had 
six  children  :    John,  Peter,  Jacob,  Mrs.  Mary 
Groves,  Mrs.   Hannah  Lowrance  and  Mrs. 
Catharine  McCormick.    The  last  named  was 
the  mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  An- 
drew McCormick,  Jr.,  the  maternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  one.     His  older 
brother,  Joseph  McCormick,  removed  from 
North  Carolina  to  Washington  county,  Mis- 
souri.   One  of  his  sons,  James  Robinson  Mc- 
Cormick, now  living  in  St.  Francois  county, 
Missouri,  is  a  physician  by  profession  and 
has  served  as  state  senator,  congressman  and 
a  general   in  the  Union  army   dtuing   the 
Civil  w^ar.  Andrew  McCormick,  Jr.,  had  two 
other  brothers  and  three  sisters,  namely  :  Da- 
vid and  John,  who  both  died  without  heirs; 
Elizabeth,    wife    of    Enos    Sherrill;    Cath- 
arine, wife  of  John  Alexander;  and  Mary, 
wife  of  A.  T.  Alexander,  who  was  a  brother 
of  Catharine's  husband.     The  McCormicks 
have    been    mostly    farmers,    stock-raisers, 
merchants,   bankers   and   lawyers,   with   an 
occasional      physician      and      Presbyterian 


preacher,  but  few  office  holders  either  civil 
or  military.      A   large   number    have    been 
ruling  elders  in  the  Presbyterian  church.     In 
early  manhood  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject married  Sarah  Steele,  who  was  born  in 
Lincoln  county,   North   Carolina,   in    1775, 
and  belonged  to  a  wealthy  family  of  that 
day  and  one  noted  for  great  force  of  char- 
acter.     Eor  some  cause  they  opposed  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  McCormick  and  therefore 
little  is  known  of  her  ancestry.     She  had 
three   brothers,   one  of   whom   was   named 
Henry.     Mr.  McCormick  died  in  Christian 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1822,  and  she  subse- 
quently married  a  Mr.  Howard,  who  died 
four  years  later.     She  then  made  her  home 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Rebecca  S.  Long, 
until  called  to  her  final  rest  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.      Her   other  children  by  her 
first  husband  were  as  follows  :    Joseph  Man- 
son  McCormick  was  married   in  Christian 
county,   Kentucky,   and  immediately  after- 
w^ard  removed  to  Texas,  which  had  not  yet 
entered  the  Union.    The  opportunities  being 
favorable  he  became  a  wealthy  man.     His 
only  son,  Andrew  Phelps  McCormick,  served 
as  United  States  circuit  judge  for  the  fifth 
circuit  in  Texas  and  also  sat  in  the  circuit 
court  of  appeals  at  New  Orleans  from  the 
middle  of   November  until    the     following 
June  for  some  years.     The  other  children 
born  to  Andrew  and  Sarah    (Steele)    Mc- 
Cormick were  Eliza,  wife  of  Joseph  Causey ; 
Juliet,  wife  of  James  Boyd;  Zillah  A.,  wife 
of  Alfred   Boyd,   wdio  w^as    a    brother    of 
Juliet's  husband;  Rebecca  S.,  the  mother  of 
our  subject ;  and  her  twin  brother  John,  who 
died  in  infancy.      Both  the  Boyd   families 
removed  from  Christian  county,  Kentucky, 
to   Christian   county,    Illinois,    and   became 
prominent   and   influential   citizens   of    this 
locality. 

John  Culbertson  Long,  the  father  of  our 


13 


216 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


subject,  was  a  temperate  man  and  an  earnest 
Christian,  lieing  an  elder  in  the  i'resljy- 
terian  church  for  many  years.  llis  wife 
joined  the  same  church  when  (|uite  young; 
and  tln'ouidiout  hfe  took  an  actixe  interest 
in  its  work.  She  was  a  \'er)'  ku^i^e  woman, 
weighing"  nearly  three  hundred  pounds  at 
one  time;  possessed  considerable  f<jrce  of 
character  and  w;is  a  great  reader.  She  died 
on  the  i6th  of  March,  iSSi,  ha\ing  sur\i\ed 
her  husband,  about  twenty  years  as  his  death 
occurred  T^dy  ii,  1861.  This  worthy  couple 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  sons 
and  four  daughters,  as  follows:'  Andrew 
McCormick  died  in  infancy.  John  Turner, 
who  died  December  jS,  1902,  in  Danville, 
Tennessee,  was  married  in  1862  to  Mrs.  7il- 
vira  R.  (]\IcCrawj  Luck  and  to  them  was 
born  a  son,  Lucian  Clyde.  Sarah  Ann  was 
married  in  1859  to  Benjamin  Scott  Pick- 
ard,  who  died  in  1866,  leaving  four  children, 
Herschel  W.,  Ida  ]N.Iay,  Minnie  Lee  and 
Benjamin  Scott,  and  ten  years  later  she 
wedded  John  A.  Myers,  of  Danville,  Ten- 
nessee, by  whoiu  she  had  two  children.  Hat- 
tie  Belle  and  Dora  Pearl.  She  and  Omer 
died  in  1888  and  Mr.  Myers  is  now  deceased. 
James  Marion  was  married  in  1867  to  Car- 
rie McCraw,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  John  Turner 
Long,  and  they  have  four  children,  Drucilla 
Ann,  Jimmie  Lou,  Oscar  Woodson  and 
Birch.  He  died  November  17,  1902.  Eliza 
died  when  about  three  years  of  age.  Isa- 
bella Washington  was  married  in  1867  to 
James  B.  Radford  and  died  in  1874,  leaving 
two  children,  Edgar  ( "larence  and  Viola  Mat- 
tie.  Mr.  Radford  subsequently  married 
Amelia  Park  and  now  lives  in  Christian 
county,  Kentucky,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, George  and  j\Lattie  May.  Eudora 
Clementine  was  married  in  September,  1877, 
to  William  G.  Williams  and  died  the  fol- 
lowing year,  while  her  husband  died  about 


a  year  later.  Winston  Leander,  of  this  re- 
\\qw,  was  the  next  of  the  family.  Eidelia 
M.  died  when  al>out  one  year  of  age. 

Tlie  early  life  of  our  subject  was  passed 
on  a  farm  in  his  native  county,  and  after  his 
lather's  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was 
only  ten  years  of  age,  he  assisted  his  mother 
in  the  operation  of  the  farm,  attending  the 
country  schools  as  the  opportunity  afforded, 
lieing  his  mother's  main  dependence,  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  school  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
and  assume  the  responsibilities  of  the  farm 
and  family,  in  this  way  he  developed  those 
traits  of  industry,  integrity  and  thoughtful- 
ness  for  the  good  of  others  wdiich  char- 
acterized his  entire  life.  The  Civil  war  com- 
ing on  the  year  of  his  father's  death,  the 
freeing  of  the  slaves  and  the  depreciation  of 
\alues  generally,  consequent  upon  the  war, 
left  his  mother  in  very  straightened  circum- 
stances, which  financial  embarrassment  made 
it  trying  for  so  young  a  farmer.  His  ad- 
vantages were  very  limited  until  the  age  of 
eighteen,  when  he  entered  the  male  academy 
at  Garrettsburg,  Kentucky,  his  teacher  l)eing 
no  less  a  personage  than  that  most  profound 
scholar  ?,nd  instructor,  O.  M.  Tyler,  wdiose 
name  is  dear  to  so  many  men  who  were 
boys  in  southern  Kentucky  and  northern 
Tennessee.  After  tw^o  years  spent  at  that 
school  Mr.  Long  returned  to  the  home  farm. 
h'or  several  years  it  w-as  his  apibition  to  en- 
ter the  medical  profession,  but  his  educa- 
tion not  being  entirely  satisfactory  and  his 
mother  and  two  sisters  being  dependent  up- 
on him,  he  remained  at  home.  However, 
he  began  making  arrangements  to  enter  mer- 
cantile business  and  in  J  874  bought- an  in- 
terest in  his  brother  James'  store  at  Roaring 
Springs,  Kentucky,  his  brother  retaining  al- 
most entire  control.  A  year  or  so  later  it 
became  necessary,  according  to  the  terms  of 
his  father's  will,  to  sell  all  real  estate  belong- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


217 


ing  to  the  deceased  and  our  subject  bought 
the  homestead  but  soon  afterward  sold  it  to 

liis  brother  James,  

In  the  spring  of  1877,  Mr.  Long  came  to 
Christian  county,  Ilhnois,  and  forming  a 
partnership  with  his  cousin  A.  E.  Boyd  em- 
Ijarked  in  the  dry-goods  business  at  Pahner, 
This  connection  was  dissolved  in  the  fall  of 
1878  on  Mr.  Boyd's  retirement  from  business 
and  Mr.  Long  conducted  the  store  alone  un- 
til 1883,  when  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Sully 
county,  South  Dakota,  where  he  had  landed 
interests.  Two  years  later  he  returned  to 
this  county  and  settled  in  Morrisonville, 
w  here  he  owned  a  general  store  in  partner- 
shi])  with  his  brother-in-law,  A.  M.  Hewitt, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Hewitt  &  Long.  He 
continued  to  carry  on  business  at  this  place 
until  1894,  when  he  sold  out  but  again  re- 
sumed business  in  1896,  and  continued  it  un- 
til May  16,  1902,  when  he  retired. 

On  the    19th   of  June,    1878,   Mr.   Long 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah  L. 
Hewitt,  of  Taylorville,  the  ceremony  being 
l)erformed  by  Rev.  E.   P.   Rankin,  a  Pres- 
l)yterian    minister    of    Morrisonville.      Her 
parents  were  William  T.   and  Anna    (Gib- 
son) Hewitt,  her  father  being  a  pioneer  set- 
tler and  one  of  the  most  widely  known  men 
oi  this  county.     He  was  born  in  Stafford 
county,    Virginia,    January    15,    1816,    and 
when  sixteen  years  of  age  removed  to  Chris- 
tian  county,   Kentucky,   where   he   married 
Anna  Gibson,  who  was  born  there  in  182 1 
and  died  June  8,  1857.    She  was  a  woman  of 
piety  and  was  noted  for  her  benevolent  and 
amiable  disposition  and  for  her  charity  to 
the  poor.      In    1842   Mr.    Hewitt   came  to 
Christian  county,  Illinois,  where  he  became  a 
wealthy  farmer  and  stock-raiser.     He  was 
a  well  educated  man,  of  sterling  integrity, 
and  in  his  death,  which  occurred  November 
24,    1890,   the   community    realized   that  it 


had  lost  a  valued  citizen.    About  three  years 
after  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  married 
Mary  R.  Wilcockson,  a  daughter  of  Colonel 
John  H.  H.  Wilcockson,  of  Christian  coun- 
ty, Illinois.     Three  children  were  born  of 
this  union:    William  T.,  who  died  in  1872; 
Lee  D.,  who  married  Ella  Russell ;  and  Omei 
B.     The  children  of  the  first  marriage  were 
Francis  M.,  who  died  in   1872;   Olive  C, 
wife  of  Joseph  S.  Wallace ;  Aurelius  M.,  who 
married  Florence  Anderson;  James  Byron, 
who  died  in  1869;  Laura  J.,  wife  of  J.  L. 
Boyd;   and   Hannah   L.,    now    Mrs.   Long. 
The   last  named  was  born   in   this  county 
September   23,    1856,   and   was   only   eight 
months  old  when  her  mother  died.     Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  were  born  two  children 
but  the  elder  died  in  infancy.     The  other, 
Troy  Lovell,  was  born  December  27,  1881. 
In   politics    Mr.    Long  was   a   Democrat 
and  he  was  honored  with  numerous  local 
offices,  including  that  of  supervisor  of  Ricks 
township.     He  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  in  high  rank  and  at  his  death, 
which  occurred  May  28,  1903,  he  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Taylorville  cemetery  with  Ma- 
sonic honors.     He  was  a  fine  looking  man, 
of  strong  personality  and  firm   determina- 
tion, was  broad  minded  and  liberal  in  his 
views,  and  had  a  high  sense  of  honor.  Added 
to  these  qualities,  he  was  a  loving  husband, 
a  kind  and  indulgent  father,  generous  and 
hospitable,  a  liberal  supporter  of  charitable 
and  church  work,  and  a  successful  business 
man.     His  death  occasioned  the  deepest  re- 
o-ret  throughout  the  community  and  Chris- 
tian   county   thereby   lost   one  of   its   most 
valued  citizens.     Mrs.   Long  is  an  earnest 
worker  and  active  member  in  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  occupies  a  position  of  so- 
cial prominence  in  the  city  where  she  makes 
her  home. 


218 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


GEORGE  V.  PENW'ELL. 

For  manv  veais  George  V^  Peiiwell  made 
his  home  in  I'ana  aiul  was  prominently 
identified  witli  her  uplmikhng-  and  prosper- 
ity, especially  along  commercial  and  indus- 
trial lines.  He  is  a  man  of  superior  busi- 
ness ability  and  scnmd  judgment  and  has 
won  that  prosperity  which  is  the  merited 
reward  of  honorable  effort.  As  a  citizen  he 
was  always  thorougiily  interested  in  what- 
e\cr  tended  to  ])romote  the  welfare  of  the 
community  in  which  he  resided. 

Mr.  Penwell  was  l)orn  in  Laporte,  In- 
diana, oh  tlie  6th  of  February,  1846,  and 
came  to  Pana  in  January,  1869.  He  was 
hrst  clerk  and  afterward  manager  of  a  store 
owned  by  Kleeman  Goldstein  of  Shelbyville, 
Illinois,  and  in  1870,  in  partnership  with 
Benjamin  Goldstein,  purchased  tlie  branch 
store  belonging  to  his  employer  at  Pana. 
The  firm  finally  became  George  V.  Penw-ell 
&  Sons  and  so  exists  to-day.  As  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased  Air.  Pemvell  extend- 
ed his  efforts  to  various  fields  of  business, 
all  of  which  he  successfully  operated.  In 
connection  with  Messrs.  Kitchell  &  Over- 
holt  he  organized  a  coal  mining  company  and 
sunk  a  shaft  to  the  coal  vein  in  March,  1888. 
In  December  of  the  same  year  he  bought  the 
interests  of  his  associates  in  this  enterprise 
and  called  the  property  the  Penwell  mine, 
under  which  name  it  has  since  been  worked. 
His  sons  becoming  interested  in  the  busi- 
ness the  company  was  incorporated  on  the 
4th  of  January,  1904,  as  the  Penwell  Coal 
Mining  Company  with  the  following  of- 
ficers :  George  V.  Penwell,  president ; 
Claude  T.  Penwell,  vice  president;  and  \\'ar- 
ren  Penw^ell,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

In  1893  Mr.  Penw^ell  of  this  review  re- 
moved to  Chicago  and  from  that  point  has 
since  superintended  his  invested  interests, 
wdiich  have  become  extensive  and  valuable. 


He  assisted  in  organizing  the  Citizen's 
Building  &  Loan  Association  of  Pana,  of 
which  he  was  treasurer  for  sixteen  years. 
He  is  still  connected  with  the  store  of  George 
V.  Penw^ell  &  Sons  at  Pana  and  the  Penwell 
&•  Klar  Mercantile  Company,  of  Hillsboro, 
Illinois,  and  is  also  interested  in  iron  mining 
m  Michigan. 

On  May  21,  1867,  Mr.  Penw^ell  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Isabel  Warren  and  to 
them  were  l)orn  four  children,  of  whom 
three  are  still  ]i\ing,  namely:  Warren, 
whose  sketch  follows  this,  is  the  oldest. 
Orville  E.,  who  married  Eva  Brown,  is 
manager  of  the  store  of  George  V.  Penwell 
&  Sons  at  Pana,  is  treasurer  of  the  Citizens' 
Building  &  Loan  Association  of  the  same 
place,  and  a  director  of  the  Penwell  &  Klar 
Mercantile  Company  of  Hillsboro.  Max  IL. 
who  married  Florence  Perryman  and  has 
two  children,  Bruce  and  Kenneth,  is  con- 
nected with  the  store  at  Pana,  being  a  mem- 
l)er  of  the  firm.  Mrs.  Isabel  Warren  Pen- 
well  died  March  31.  1873,  and  ]\Ir.  Penwell 
was  married  in  ]\Iay.  1874,  to  Myra  Tutt, 
bv  whom  he  had  one  son,  Claude  Tutt  Pen- 
well,  now  superintendeint  of  the  mines  at 
Pana. 

Mr.  Penw^ell  is  a  self-made  man.  He 
came  to  Pana  practically  empty-handed  and 
has  been  one  of  the  leading  factors  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  town,  controlling  business 
enterprises  of  magnitude  that  have  largely 
promoted  public  prosperity  as  well  as  ad- 
vanced his  individual  success.  His  business 
methods  have  been  straightforw^ard  and  his 
wealth  has  been  won  through  the  utiliza- 
tion of  opportunities  and  through  the  exer- 
cise of  his  native  talents  and  accjuired  abil- 
ity. He  has  always  given  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party  but  has  never 
consented  to  hold  office,  save  that  of  presi- 
dent of  the  school  board. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


221 


WARREN  PENWELL. 

Warren  Penwell,  a  coal  operator  living  in 
Pana,  is  managing  important  and  extensive 
business  interests  which  are  of  value  to  the 
community  as  well  as  to  the  owners  because 
of  their  promotion  of  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial activity,  whereon  the  prosperity  of 
any  town  or  city  depends.  The  name  of 
Penwell  has  long  figured  prominently  in  the 
trade  annals  of  this  part  of  the  state  and 
because  of  his  active  connection  with  vari- 
ous important  enterprises  Warren  Penwell 
has  become  a  leading  citizen  of  Christian 
county. 

A  native  son  of  Pana,  he  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1869,  a  son  of  George  V.  and  Isabel 
(Warren)  Penwell.  He  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  schools  of  Pana  and  pur- 
sued a  business  course  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, after  which  he  matriculated  in  Black- 
burn University,  at  Carlinville,  this  state, 
therein  continuing  his  studies  for  one  year. 
Upon  his  return  to  Pana  he  entered  his  fath- 
er's ofiice  in  April,  1889,  and  has  since  been 
connected  with  the  coal  mining  interests. 
When  his  father  removed  to  Chicago  he  took 
charge  of  the  mine  and  has  since  been  its 
manager  in  connection  with  his  brother, 
Claude  T.  The  business  has  been  incor- 
porated under  the  firm  style  of  the  Penwell 
Coal  Mining  Company  with  George  V.  Pen- 
well  as  president;  Claude  T.  Penwell,  vice- 
president  and  superintendent  of  the  mine ; 
and  Warren  Penwell,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Our  subject  also  has  charge  of  the 
office.  Three  hundred  men  are  now  given 
employment  in  the  mines.  There  is  a  large 
annual  output,  in  connection  with  which 
much  business  has  to  be  transacted  in  plac- 
ing the  product  on  the  market. 

Mr.  Penwell  is  a  young  man  of  resource- 
ful business  ability  and  in  addition  to  his 
mining  operations  he  is  now  the  president 


of  the  Paddock  Lumber  Company ;  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Pana  Building  &  Loan 
Association ;  is  treasurer  of  the  Pana  & 
Christian  County  Telephone  Company;  and 
is  also  treasurer  of  the  Pana  Fair  Associa- 
tion. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1898,  Mr.  Penwell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lora  Hay- 
ward,  a  daughter  of  J.  A.  Hayward.  She 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Pana  and  at 
Mrs.  May  Wright  Sewall's  school,  Indi- 
anapolis, Indiana,  and  by  her  marriage  has 
l^ecome  the  mother  of  two  children :  Isabel 
and  lone  Hayward.  Mrs.  Penwell  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr.  Pen- 
well  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men Camp  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge  at  Pana.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, giving  an  unfaltering  support  to  the 
principles  of  the  party,  and  he  has  filled  some 
local  offices,  having  served  as  city  treasurer 
from  1893  until  1895  and  as  mayor  of  Pana 
from  1897  until  1899.  During  his  adminis- 
tration and  through  his  efforts  the  first  brick 
street-paving  was  done.  In  business  circles 
he  occupies  an  enviable  position,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  success  he  has  achieved,  but 
also  because  of  the  honorable  straightfor- 
ward business  policy  h.e  has  ever  followed.  It 
is  true  that  he  entered  u])on  a  business  al- 
ready established  but  in  controlling  and  en- 
larging this  he  has  displayed  excellent  ex- 
ecutive force  and  keen  discernment  and  his 
policy  is  such  as  neither  seeks  nor  requires 
disguise. 


B.  F.  WINTERS. 


B.  F.  Winters  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Christian  county  and  is  now  actively  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  in  Stonington  as 
proprietor  of  a  grocery  and  hardware  store. 
While  there  have  been  no  exciting  chapters 


222 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


in  his  history  there  are  lessons  which  will 
appeal  to  the  man  who  recognizes  the  force 
of  energy,  industry  and  integrity  in  the  af- 
fairs of  life,  for  it  has  been  due  to  these  ele- 
ments in  his  character  that  Mr.  Winters  has 
won  his  success  and  become  one  of  the  lead- 
ing representatives  of  the  business  circles  of 
his  adopted  city. 

Mr.  Winters  was  born  April  14,  i860,  in 
Taylorville  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Jane  Winters.  His  father,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, was  born  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1822,  and  died  on  the  5th  of  November, 
1870,  in  the  city  of  Taylorville.  He  arrived 
in  Christian  county  in  1858  and  established 
the  Independent  Press,  which  was  one  of  the 
first  newspapers  ever  published  in  Christian 
county.  This  he  conducted  until  his  death. 
The  printing  press  used  was  the  one  on 
which  the  first  edition  of  the  Missouri  Re- 
public was  printed  and  which  would  to-day 
be  worth  a  great  deal  of  money  because  of 
its  historic  value,  had  it  been  preserved,  but 
Mr.  Winters,  of  this  review,  assisted  in  cut- 
ting it  up  for  kindling  wood  when  it  was  re- 
placed by  a  more  modern  machine.  Benja- 
min Winters  was  very  active  in  all  public 
affairs,  promoting  the  w^elfare  of  the  county 
along  material,  intellectual  and  moral  lines 
and  to  the  Democratic  party  he  gave  an  un- 
faltering support.  In  his  famly  were  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom  reside  in  Christian 
county. 

B.  F.  Winters,  the  only  son  of  the  house- 
hold, obtained  his  preliminary  education  in 
the  schools  of  Taylorville  and  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world  at  the  age 
of  thirteen.  He  was  first  employed  upon  a 
farm  and  in  1881  he  came  to  Stonington, 
where  he  secured  a  position  in  connection 
with  the  elevator,  spending  two  and  a  half 
years  in  this  way.  For  eight  years  he 
worked  in  a  drug  store  and  then,  resuming 


agricultural  pursuits,  was  engaged  in  the 
operation  of  a  rented  farm  near  Stonington 
for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  1ie  embarked  in  business  on  his  own 
account,  having  acquired  the  necessary  capi- 
tal through  untiring  labor  and  careful  man- 
agement. He  opened  a  grocery  and  hard-  , 
ware  store  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  1 
the  Slaughter  store  and  in  1899  he  pur-  -> 
chased  the  building  in  which  he  is  now  con- 
ducting his  enterprise,  carrying  a  large  and 
well  selected  stock  of  groceries,  queensware 
and  hardware.  He  has  made  a  close  study 
of  the  demands  of  the  public  and  by  reason 
of  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons 
and  his  honorable  dealing  he  has  secured  a 
very  liberal  and  gratifying  patronage.  In 
addition  to  his  store  he  owns  some  land  in 
Stonington  and  recently  he  has  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Kansas. 

In  March,  1884,  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riasre  of  B.  F.  Winters  and  Miss  Marv  E. 
Emerson,  a  daughter  of  Richard  Emerson, 
an  early  settler  of  Christian  county  who  in 
pioneer  times  entered  land  near  Stonington 
from  the  government.  Unto  him  and  his 
wife  have  been  born  two  children :  Earl  E., 
who  is  now  a  student  in  the  high  school  of 
Taylorville ;  and  Ethel,  who  is  also  pursuing 
her  education  here.  Mr.  Winters  and  his 
family  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  in  social  circles  occupy  an  en- 
viable position.  Recently  he  has  erected  a 
fine  residence  of  nine  rooms  on  the  main 
street  of  the  town.  It  is  heated  by  furnace, 
supplied  with  a  bath  room  and  is  modern  in 
every  particular,  and  not  the  least  of  the 
charms  of  this  home  is  its  gracious  and  free- 
hearted hospitality.  Mr.  Winters'  views 
upon  the  temperance  question  have  led  him 
to  give  an  earnest  support  to  the  Prohibition 
party.  He  has  served  as  tax  collector  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


223 


Stonington.  In  public  affairs  he  is  pro- 
g-ressive,  desiring  the  substantial  upbuilding 
of  the  city  along  beneficial  lines  and  has  been 
a  co-operant  factor  in  many  measures  result- 
ing in  the  pul:)lic  good.  He  represents  one 
of  the  old  and  honored  pioneer  families  of 
Christian  county  and  in  this  section  of  the 
state,  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed, 
he  is  known  as  a  man  of  firm  purpose,  of 
unquestioned  integrity  and  of  marked 
strenoth  of  character. 


PROFESSOR  W.  E.  ANDREWS. 

The  name  of  Professor  W.  E.  Andrews, 
of  Taylorville,  is  well  known  in  educational 
circles  throughout  the  state  and  all  who  are 
ac(|uainted  with  his  work  or  have  listened 
to  his  clear,  [)ractical  and  progressive  ideas 
as  advanced  before  county  and  state  educa- 
tional associations,  speak  of  him  in  terms  of 
highest  praise.  He  is  indeed  an  active  fac- 
tor in  intellectual  development  in  Christian 
county  and  Illinois.  In  the  city  where  he 
makes  his  home  and  where  his  social  nature 
is  best  known,  he  is  a  most  popular  gentle- 
man; the  circle  of  his  friends  being  almost 
co-extensive  with  the  circle  of  his  acc[uaint- 
ances. 

Professor  Andrews  is  a  native  of  Macou- 
pin county,  Illinois,  and  his  early  education 
was  acfjuired  in  its  public  schools.  This  was 
supplemented  by  a  study  in  an  academy  at 
Brighton,  Illinois.  There  he  was  fortunate 
in  being  under  the  instruction  of  a  learned 
and  capable  educator,  who  was  a  graduate 
of  Dartmouth  College  and  a  former  prin- 
cipal of  the  schools  of  Lynn,  Massachusetts. 
His  collegiate  work  was  done  in  Blackburn 
University,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  '84.  He  was 
honored  with  the  presidency  of  the  class  and 
while    he    made    marked    advance    in    his 


studies,  his  genial  nature  rendered  him  a 
favorite  with  his  fellow  students.  He  dis- 
played special  aptitude  in  mathematical  work 
and  because  of  this  was  chosen  in  1884  by 
the  board  of  trustees  of  his  alma  mater  as 
assistant  instructor  in  mathematics.  For 
three  years  he  engaged  in  teaching  higher 
mathematics,  analytical  and  descriptive 
geometry  and  differential  and  integral  cal- 
culus. He  also  had  chai'ge  of  classes  in  bot- 
any, Cicero  De  Amicitia  and  De  Senectute 
and  Horace.  In  1887  he  was  chosen  to  fill 
the  chair  of  natural  science  as  the  successor 
of  one  who  had  occupied  it  for  eighteen 
years.  Professor  Andrews  was  then  a 
young  man  of  twenty-four  years,  but  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  the  new  position  with 
marked  capability  and  occupied  that  chair 
for  ten  years.  In  1888,  because  of  advanced 
study  and  work  in  connection  with  his  spe- 
cialties, he  was  awarded  the  degree  of  Mas- 
ter of  Arts. 

In  1894  a  shrinkage  in  the  endowment  of 
the  college  made  it  necessary  to  decrease  the 
salaries  proportionately,  so  Professor  An- 
drews accepted  the  principalship  of  the 
township  high  school  of  Taylorville.  A 
contemporary  pulilication,  in  speaking  of 
this  step  in  his  life,  said :  "He  was  induced 
to  accept  this  position  because  of  his  convic- 
tion that  this  school  presents  a  great  oppor- 
tunity to  one  who  seeks  a  useful  career." 
Under  his  principalship  the  corps  of  teach- 
ers has  been  strengthened,  the  enrollment 
continually  increased,  absence  and  tardiness 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  the  school  has 
been  accepted  as  a  preparatory  school  by  the 
leading  state  imiversities  and  the  best  col- 
leges. In  addition  to  a  large  working  library 
in  natural  science  Professor  Andrews  has 
an  extensive  ecjuipment  of  scientific  appa- 
ratus and  appliances  and  a  large  collection 
of   plants   and   birds.      He   has   done  much 


224 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


original  investigation  in  the  physical  sci- 
ences and  was  among  the  first  in  the  state 
to  repeat  Roentgen's  experiments  with  the 
X-rays.  In  the  midst  of  Inisy  summers  of 
research  and  study,  he  has  twice  pursued 
post-graduate  work  in  Harvard  University. 
At  his  first  examination  for  a  state  teacher's 
certificate  he  was  awarded  the  life  certificate 
in  Illinois.  He  has  held  a  license  as  con- 
ductor of  teachers'  institutes  in  this  state 
under  the  last  three  state  superintendents, 
and  for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  done  most 
ahle  work  in  different  county  institutes.  He 
enrolled  in  the  non-resident  graduate  depart- 
ment of  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University, 
and  in  1899,  having  passed  the  required  ex- 
aminations, the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philos- 
ophy was  conferred  upon  him.  He  has  fre- 
quently contributed  valuable  papers  to  the 
teachers'  association  in  Springfield  and  also 
to  the  Central  Illinois  Teachers'  Association. 
His  experience  as  a  teacher,  though  extend- 
ing over  a  number  of  years,  has  embraced 
connection  with  but  two  schools,  a  fact 
which  stands  in  incontrovertible  evidence  of 
his  marked  ability  and  the  appreciation  of 
his  services  by  the  public.  He  is  a  man  of 
scholarly  attainments,  wide  research  and 
broad  humanitarian  principles.  He  always 
regards  his  work  as  worthy  his  best  efforts. 
He  will  always  be  a  student  and  is  now  an 
active  member  of  the  St.  Louis  Academy 
of  Science,  the  National  Educational  Asso- 
ciation and  the  American  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science. 

Professor  Andrews  w'as  married  in  18(87 
to  Miss  Alberta  Taggart,  of  Carlinville,  Illi- 
nois, and  they  have  two  children  :  Virginia, 
a  high  school  student;  and  Alberta,  who  is 
attending  the  graded  schools.  Mrs.  An- 
drews is  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Club  of 
Taylorville  and  is  chairman  of  the  educa- 
tional department.     She  is  also  a  director  of 


the  new  Carnegie  Library.  Professor  An- 
drews is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  belonging  to 
the  blue  lodge  and  chapter  of  Taylorville. 
In  the  Presbyterian  church  he  is  serving  as 
elder  and  for  several  years  has  been  Sunday- 
school  superintendent. 


JOHN  WT TELLER  BROWN. 

J.  Wheeler  Brown  was  born  in  North 
Stonington,  Connecticut,  September  17, 
1838,  being  the  oldest  of  three  children.  His 
father,  John  Denison  Brown,  was  born  in 
North  Stonington,  March  23,  1809,  and  was 
the  oldest  son  of  John  and  Sally  (Denison) 
Brown.  His  ancestry,  however,  traces  back 
to  Lady  Ann  Bordell,  a  member  of  the  Eng- 
lish nobility,  who  took  quite  a  prominent 
part  in  the  early  settlement  of  this  country. 
After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  the 
father  of 'our  subject  was  joined  i!i  wedlock 
to  Mary  Ann  AMieeler,  who  was  the  third 
in  a  family  of  twelve  children  born  to  Peres 
and  Desire  (Wheeler)  Wheeler.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  traced  her  ancestry 
back  thirty-five  generations  through  God- 
frey I;  Henry  II;  Lambert  of  Lorain  I; 
Charles,  Duke  of  Lorain;  Louis  III,  King 
of  France;  Charles  III,  King  of  France; 
Louis  II,  King  of  France;  Charles  II,  King 
of  France;  Louis  I,  King  of  France;  to  Em- 
peror Charlemagne,  born  in  742,  A.  D.  The 
Wheelers  were  also  connected  with  the 
Grant  family,  of  whom  General  U.  S.  Grant 
was  the  most  illustrious  memloer.  The 
Grants,  Wheelers,  Denisons  and  Browns 
were  represented  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

In  i8'39  John  Denison  Brown  came  to 
Christian  county  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Stonington  township  which  now  belongs  to 
his  son  J.  Wheeler.  Upon  that  place  two 
daughters  were  born:  Mrs.  Mary  Desire 
Forrester,  who  is  the  mother  of  James  H. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


227 


Forrester,  now  county  judge,  and  Mrs.  Dr. 
Mally,  of  Galesburg;  and  Mrs.  Sally  Ann 
Mulberry,  who  died,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren: Mrs.  N.  D.  Bond.  Grace  Pearl 
Mulberry  and  Frank  B.  Mulberry,  who  is 
now  connected  with  J.  W.  Brown  &  Com- 
pany's l^ank  at  Mount  Auburn.  When  thir- 
ty-two years  of  age  John  D.  Brown,  together 
with  his  wife,  united  with  the  Baptist  church 
at  Stonington,  Illinois,  and  seven  years  later 
was  chosen  one  of  its  deacons,  in  which 
capacity  he  acted  until  his  death  in  1879. 
He  was  active  to  tlie  last  in  anything  that 
concerned  the  church  and  its  welfare.  His 
'Irst  wife  died  in  1854  and  two  years  later  lie 
married  Miss  N.  C.  Wentworth,  sister  of 
Erastus  Wentworth,  a  missionary  to  Chnia 
and  for  several  years  editor  of  the  Ladies' 
Home  Journal,  published  by  the  Methodist 
Book  Concern  at  Cincinnati.  She  died  in 
1870  and  after  the  marriage  of  his  daughter 
Sally  and  the  death  of  his  mother  in  1877, 
Mr.  Brown  then  made  his  home  with  our 
subject  until  he,  too,  was  called  awav  in 
T879. 

J.  Wheeler  Brown  had  Imt  limited  educa- 
tional "advantages  during  his  youth,  attend- 
ing school  only  three  months  each  year. 
His  first  teacher  was  the  late  Judge  William 
Hammer,  who  died  in  Decatur  a  few  years 
ago,  and  under  his  instruction  Mr.  Brown 
pursued  his  primary  studies  during  the  win- 
ter of  1843-4.  His  best  mental  training, 
however,  was  received  continuously  from  his 
father,  who  was  a  well  educated  man,  taking 
an  active  interest  in  educational  affairs,  and 
who,  in  connection  with  Judge  William  S. 
Fink  of  Taylorville,  was  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  services  of  two  teachers  from  the 
school  of  Governor  Slade,  of  Massachusetts, 
Miss  Burnham  teaching  in  Stonington  and 
Miss  Holland  in  Taylorville  for  one  year. 
Mr.  Brown  grew  up  much  as  other  boys  in 


a  new  country,  working  on  his  father's  farm 
and  going  from  home  but  little  and  then  only 
to  the  nearest  towns.  He  never  went  any 
farther  than  Springfield  until  nearly  grown. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1862,  Mr. 
Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Re- 
l:)ecca  T.  Catherwood,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Lydia  Catherwood  and  one  of  a  family 
of  ten  children.  Four  of  the  number,  Cath- 
erine, Joseph,  Allen  and  Mrs.  Brown,  are 
now  deceased,  the  living  being  John,  Will- 
iam T.,  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Bonnel,  J.  Steele,  Lyd- 
ia A.  and  Mrs.  H.  Emma  Powell.  Mrs. 
Brown  was  born  in  LTnion  county,  Ohio,  and 
when  quite  young  removed  with  her  parents 
to  Guernsey  county,  that  state,  where  her 
father  died.  The  family  afterward  removed 
to  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  in  1857,  and  two 
years  later  came  to  Stonington,  Christian 
county. 

For  twenty-eight  years  after  they  were 
married  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  lived  on  their 
farm  and  the  old  homestead  which  his  father 
purchased  in  1839.  In  September,  1890, 
they  removed  to  Normal,  Illinois,  where 
they  spent  two  years,  in  order  that  the  two 
younger  children  might  attend  the  State 
Normal  School,  the  two  oldest  having  mar- 
ried previous  to  this.  On  the  ist  of  Au- 
gust, 1892,  they  became  residents  of  Mowe- 
aqua,  Shelby  county,  and  in  connection  with 
the  late  D.  P.  Keller  and  William  C.  Miller, 
now  of  Decatur,  Mr.  Brown  established  the 
Commercial  Bank,  under  the  firm  style  of 
Miller,  Brown  &  Keller.  This  institution 
opened  its  doors  for  business  on  the  2nd  of 
December,  1892.  Mr.  Brown  remained  in 
Moweaqua  until  the  ist  of  May,  1896,  when 
he  came  back  to  Blue  Mound,  having  in  con- 
nection with  Ralph  Ayers  purchased  the 
bank  of  J.  M.  Brownback  &  Company. 
About  the  ist  of  May,  1900,  he  purchased 
his  partner's  interest  in  the  bank  at  Blue 


228 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Mdiind,  and  in  Uirn  sold. his  interest  in  the 
Commercial  Bank  at  Aloweaqua.  He  then 
transferred  one-third  of  the  lUue  Monnd 
hank  to  his  son.  jnhn  Arthur  lirown,  and  the 
present  hrm  of  J.  W.  P.rown  &  Company 
was  esta1)lished. 

After  the  removal  of  the  family  to  VAue 
Mound,  Mr.  Brown  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
2d  of  Octoher,  1896,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
the  old  Stonington  cemetery.  Her  mother, 
Mrs.  Lydia  Catherwood.  died  the  follow- 
ing spring  in  Taylorville.  She  was  noted 
for  her  strong  religious  character  and  up- 
right life.  In  the  fall  of  1867  Mrs.  Brown 
was  converted  and  immediately  united  w  ith 
the  Nebraska  Schoolhouse  Class,  which  at 
that  time  was  an  auxiliary  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Moweacjua.  In  1890 
she  transferred  her  membership  to  the 
church  at  Normal,  and  after  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  ]\Ioweaqua  she  joined  the 
Methodist  church  at  that  place,  remaining 
a  consistent  member  there  until  her  death. 
She  took  great  pleasure  in  aiding  in  the 
work  of  the  church  to  whicli  she  and  her 
husband  belonged,  being  especially  active 
in  the  Ladies'  Missionary  Society,  and  as 
long  as  health  permitted  she  faithfully  at- 
tended church  and  worshiped  at  all  its  serv- 
ices. She  was  a  devoted  and  loving  wife 
and  mother  and  her  loss  was  very  deeply 
felt,  not  only  by  her  immediate  family  but 
by  many  friends  throughout  the  county. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brown.  Mary  Ann.  the  eldest,  is  now  Mrs. 
J.  Riley  y\nderson,  and  is  the  mother  of 
eleven  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living-. 
They  reside  on  Mr.  Anderson's  farm  one 
mile  south  of  Taylorville,  where  thev  carrv 
on  farming  on  scientific  principles  with  mucli 
pleasure  and  profit.  As  soon  as  qualified 
their  children  enter  the  high  school  of  Tay- 


lor\illc,  where  Ralph,  the  eldest,  will  gradu- 
ate in  1904.  L.  Grace,  our  subject's  second 
f'aughter,  is  the  wife  of  O.  E.  Briggs.  who 
lives  three  miles  east  of  Stonington  in  I'ran-- 
ieton  townsln'p,  and  to  them  lia\'e  been  l)oni 
five  children,  but  one  is  now  deceasecb  Mrs. 
Brii?o"s  has  alwavs  lived  in  tlie  same  neigh- 
borliood  and  is  a  member  of  the  old  Stoning- 
ton Baptist  church.  S.  Agnes  is  now  keep- 
ing house  for  her  father.  She  attended  the 
Normal  School  for  four  years,  and  at  one 
time  held  a  position  in  the  Commercird  luink- 
of  Moweacpia.  She  has  spent  much  time  in 
travel,  visiting  all  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  is  a  memljer  of  the  Eastern  Star,  the 
I^aughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and 
contemplates  joining  the  Descendants  of  the 
Mavflower.  John  Arthur,  our  subject's  only 
son,  married  Miss  Cora  Hul)bard,  of  Evans- 
ton,  Illinois,  and  they  have  one  son,  Tom 
Hubbard  Brown.  He  is  the  junior  mem- 
l:er  of  the  banking  firm  of  J.  W.  Brown  & 
Company,  of  Blue  Mound,  and  also  of 
Mount  Auburn,  where  they  ha\-e  a  bank, 
Carl  D.  Miller  being  a  member  of  the  firm 
and  cashier,  assisted  by  Frank  B.  Mulberry, 
a  nephew  of  our  subject,  the  only  son  of  his 
youngest  sister. 

The  bank  of  J.  \\'.  Brown  &  Comprmy  at 
Mount  Auburn  have  new  quarters,  occtqjy- 
ing  a  fine  two-stor\'  building  of  red  pressed 
brick,  which  was  built  in  the  summer  and  fall 
of  1903,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  town.  Mr. 
IJrow^n  has  always  given  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  casting  his  first  vote 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860.  He  has  held 
nor  sought  no  offlce  sa\-e  township  positions. 
While  lix'ing  upon  his  farm  he  was  called 
ujjon  by  his  fellow  citizens  to  .serve  in  a  num- 
ber of  local  offices,  was  supervisor,  assessor 
.and  justice  of  the  peace.  He  also  served 
as  school  director  for  seventeen  years.  In 
May,    1845,  ^'^'  became  one  of  the  charter 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


229 


erset,  Canada,  July  12,  1852,  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Felicile  (Deverenes)  Lambert, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Canada.  The 
father  was  a  carpenter  and  followed  his  trade 
in  the  employ  of  the  Richelieu  &  Ontario 
Navigation  Company.  In  March,  1857,  he 
came  to  Christian  county,  Illinois,  and  in 
June  of  the  same  year  his  family  came  with  a 
colony  that  made  their  way  to  Tolomo  and 
thence  to  the  present  site  of  Assumption. 
There  was  nothing  here  at  the  time  but  the 
railroad  warehouse  and  for  a  few  days  the 
colony  were  sheltered  in  that.  Mr.  Lambert, 
being  a  carpenter,  erected  the  first  house 
in  the  tow^n  and  it  is  still  standing  on  Sam- 
uel street.  His  wife  had  learned  the  English 
language  in  Canada  but  was  the  only  one 
of  the  emigrants  who  could  speak  it.  How- 
ever they  were  a  resolute  people  who  had 
come  to  this  new  district  to  make  homes, 
and  they  founded  an  enterprising  town  which 
stands  as  a  monument  to  their  labors  and 
perpetuates  their  memory.  The  father  of 
our  subject  continued  to  follow^  his  trade 
until  i860,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in 
Assumption  township  and  there  he  died  in 

August,    1 86 1.      The   mother  passed   away 

about  1889,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 
JOSEPH  T.  LAMBERT.  j^^  ^1^^  ^^^-ly  ^-Ij^ys  Qf  Assumption  their  home 

Joseph  Theophile  Lambert  is  now  filling  was  the  place  of  entertainment  for  all  trav- 
the  position  of  mayor  of  Assumption  and  is  elers.  All  products  w^ere  hauled  to  the  Tay- 
one  of  its  most  prominent  and  progressive     lorville  market,  but  as  the  years  passed  the 


members  of  the  Sunday-school  organized  at 
Old  Stonington — the  first  Sunday-school 
formed  in  Christian  county.  In  November, 
1850,  he  united  with  the  Baptist  church  at 
that  place  and  has  held  membership  there- 
with continuously  since.  Eraternally  he  is 
a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  In  his  business  life 
he  has  prospered  and  in  connection  with  his 
banking  interests  in  Blue  Mound  and  Mount 
Auburn  he  still  owns  six  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Prairieton  township.  Christian  coun- 
ty— the  old  homestead, — and  also  six  hun- 
dred acres  in  Stoddard  county,  Missouri. 
He  was  only  about  a  year  old  when  the  fam- 
ily came  to  Illinois,  and  in  this  portion  of 
the  state  he  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life. 
He  is  therefore  well  known  to  its  citizens, 
and  his  history  has  l)een  such  as  to  win  for 
him  many  friends,  especially  among  the 
older  people  who  were  early  settlers  of  this 
great  fertile  county,  more  dear  to  them  per- 
haps for  the  remembrances  of  the  priva- 
tions of  its  earlier  days  before  roads,  fences, 
tile  ditches  and  the  many  advantages  that 


have     since 
known. 


sprung     into     existence     were 


citizens.  As  a  merchant  he  has  been  actively 
identified  with  business  circles  here  for  many 
years,  and  moreover  he  was  an  occupant  of 
the  first  house  erected  in  the  town,  it  hav- 
ing been  built  l)y  his  father.  From  the  very 
beginning  of  the  town  therefore  he  has  been 
a  witness  of  its  growth  and  has  ever  been 
deeply  interested  in  its  welfare,  a  fact  which 
is  evident  in  his  progressive  administration 
as  chief  executive  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Lambert  was  born  at  Port  Levi,  Som- 


pioneer  conditions  were  replaced  by  those 
of  an  advanced  civilization.  In  the  family 
were  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  reached 
mature  years,  while  five  are  yet  living,  name- 
ly: Mrs.  Bridget  Ostel,  of  Carlinville,  Illi- 
nois; Davis,  who  is  married  and  is  foreman 
of  a  large  wagon  manufactory  at  Kankakee, 
Illinois ;  Cassimire,  who  is  married  and  lives 
in  Donaldson,  Louisiana,  where  he  owns  a 
large  sugar  plantation  and  is  doing  an  exten- 
sive business ;  and  Joseph  T. 


230 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


The  last  named  pursued  his  e(hication  in 
the  district  schools  and  in  the  high  school 
of  Assumption,  and  while  pursuing-  his  edu- 
cation he  was  also  employed  in  a  store  for 
seven  months.  He  then  entered  the  store  of 
A.  Cazalett  as  a  clerk  and  also  hoarded  with 
him  and  after  the  estahlishment  of  the  firm 
of  Cazalett  &  Lacharite  he  continued  as  a 
salesman  in  tlleir  estahlishment  and  assisted 
in  the  growth  of  th.e  husiness  hy  his  loyalty 
to  his  cm])loyers'  interests.  In  the  spring 
of  1876  he  joined  a  Mr.  Ophir  in  the  gro- 
cery husiness,  being  thus  associated  for  eight 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  bought 
out  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Lacharite,  and 
the  firm  of  Cazalett  &  Lambert  continued 
the  business  until  1880,  in  which  \ear  the 
present  firm  of  Lacharite  &  Lambert  became 
owner  of  the  store,  which  they  have  since 
carried  on  with  excellent  success.  The  store 
occupies  two  floors  of  a  large  and  well 
lighted  brick  building,  and  they  carry  an 
extensive  and  well  selected  line  of  dr}^  goods 
and  groceries.  Their  trade  is  a  paying  one 
for  their  business  methods  are  honorable 
and  they  have  therefore  secured  an  extensive 
patronage. 

Mr.  Lambert  has  been  twice  married.  Li 
1875,  in  Assumption,  he  wedded  Ann  Louisa 
Griffith,  who  died  in  1895,  leaving  two  sons 
that  are  yet  living.  Rolland  is  married  and 
is  a  tookkeeper  in  the  Illinois  State  Bank; 
and  Sydney  is  attending  school.  Cora,  aged 
twenty,  and  Mabel,  aged  seventeen  years, 
died  within  four  months  of  each  other.  For 
his  second  wife  Mr.  Laniljcrt  chose  Emma 
A.  Hoover,  of  Indiana,  and  they  were  mar- 
ried in  1897.  They  now  have  a  daughter, 
Florence. 

Mr.  Lambert  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in 
public  affairs  here  and  his  loyalty  in  citizen- 
ship and  his  progressive  ideas  well  qualify 
him  to  take  a  prominent  place  in  public  life. 


He  served  as  alderman  for  two  years,  was 
for  three  years  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  in  the  spring  of  1903  he  was  elected  on 
a  citizens'  ticket  to  the  office  of  mayor.  The 
best  element  in  iXssumption,  desiring  a  clean, 
l;usinesslike  administration,  g.'U'c  him  its  sup- 
port and  he  is  now  the  incumbent  in  the 
highest  office  within  the  gift  of  his  fellow 
citizens  of  Assumption  and  his  course  is  one 
which  demonstrates  that  he  is  well  worthy 
the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  liini.  Tn 
national  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr. 
Lainl^ert  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Camp  of  Assumption  and  also 
belongs  to  tlie  Fraternal  Army.  He  is  like- 
wise a  charter  member  of  Tecnmseh  Lodge, 
T.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  now  treasurer 
rmd  he  has  been  a  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
in  Springfield.  In  all  life's  relations  he  is 
reliable  and  honorable  and  his  salient  char- 
acteristics  are  such  as  command  respect  and 
beget  confidence  in  every  land  and  clime. 


GEORGE  RITSCHER. 

In  every  community  there  are  found  men 
who  by  reason  of  their  inherent  force  of 
character,  their  ability,  devotion  to  the  pub- 
lic good  and  well  known  probity  become  lead- 
ers in  public  life  and  exert  a  strong  and 
beneficial  inlluence  in  ])ublic  affairs.  Such 
a  man  is  George  Rilscher,  who  is  president 
of  the  village  board  of  Owaneco,  and  is  an 
active  business  man.  engaged  in  dealing  in 
grain  and  lumber. 

A  native  of  Germany,  he  was  born  on  the 
27th  of  October,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of 
Charles  and  Maria  Ritscher,  who  were  also 
natives  of  that  country.  The  father  came 
to  Taylorville,  Illinois,  with  his  family  in 
1874  and  s])ent  his  remaining  days  in  Chris- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


231 


tian   county,   passing   away    in    1892.      His 
wife's  death  occurred  in  the  year  1872. 

George  Ritscher  attended  the  pubhc 
schools  of  the  fatherland  until  thirteen  years 
of  age  when  he  began  working  at  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade.  He  was  employed  in  that 
way  in  Germany  until  1874,  when  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  he  came  with  the  family 
to  the  new  world.  He  benefited  by  the 
change  for  he  found  in  the  business  condi- 
tions of  the  growing  west  the  opportunities 
he  sought  for  advancement.  After  being 
employed  at  wagon-making  in  Taylorville 
for  three  months,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  clerked  in  a  grocery  store, 
remaining  in  that  city  for  a  year.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Tay- 
lorville and  secured  employment  in  the 
Ritscher  &  Lenhart  wagon  and  carriage 
shop,  with  which  he  was  connected  until 
1884.  He  next  located  in  Stonington,  and 
joined  J.  W.  Boyle  as  a  dealer  in  farm  ma- 
chinery, wagons  and  carriages,  continuing 
the  partnership  until  1895,  when  he  sold  out 
to  Mr.  Boyle  and  came  to  Owaneco.  Here 
he  aided  in  forming  the  firm  of  Ritscher 
Brothers,  dealers  in  grain  and  lumber,  and 
for  seven  years  they  were  associated  in  busi- 
ness, at  the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  Ritscher 
purchased  his  brother's  inerest  and  has  since 
been  alone  in  business.  He  makes  large  nur- 
chases  and  shipments  of  grain  and  also  con- 
ducts a  lumber  yard,  selling  to  local  patrons, 
who  find  him  a  straighforward,  enterprising 
business  man,  careful,  watchful  of  his  own 
interests,  yet  never  taking  advantage  of  his 
fellow  men  in  any  trade  transaction.  He  is 
also  a  stockholder  in  The  Metzger-Hill  Com- 
pany, doing  a  commission  business  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

In  1883  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Ritscher  and  Miss  Sarah  R.  Daigh,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Daigh,   one  of  the  pioneer 


residents  of  Christian  county.  They  have 
three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter, 
Emmet,  Neta  and  Herbert.  They  occupy  a 
pleasant  home  in  Owaneco,  which  is  the 
property  of  Mr.  Ritscher.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church,  his  wife  of  the  Re- 
formed church.  His  political  support  is 
given  the  Republican  party  and  upon  that 
ticket  he  has  been  elected  to  several  local 
offices.  He  served  as  town  clerk  of  Ston- 
ington for  five  years  and  has  been  a  trustee 
of  the  board  of  Owaneco'  since  the  incor- 
poration of  the  village,  while  at  the  present 
writing  he  is  serving  as  its  president.  His 
aid  and  cooperation  are  never  sought  in 
vain  in  behalf  of  beneficial  public  measures 
and  his  influence  is  ever  on  the  side  of  right, 
jusice  and  Improvement. 


ANDREW  D.  BALSLEY,  D.  V.   S. 

Andrew  D.  Balsley,  wdio  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  veterinary  sur- 
gery in  Morrisonville,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Illinois,  July  i,  1873,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  E.  Balsley,  repre- 
sentatives of  old  Virginian  families.  On 
the  paternal  side  his  ancestors  came  from 
Holland,  while  his  mother's  people  were  of 
Scotch  and  Irish  descent,  though  both  fam- 
ilies were  founded  in  this  country  during 
the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
Our  subject's  father  was  born  in  Virginia 
and  throughout  his  active  business  life  was 
extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  cattle 
dealing,  owning  and  operating  between  five 
and  six  hundred  acres  of  valuable  farming 
land.  He  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-five  years,  and  his  father,  who  was 
also'  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  reached  the  extreme 
old  age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years. 

Dr.  Balsley,  of  this  review,  was  reared  up- 
on his  father's  farm  and  received  his  educa- 


232 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


tion  ill  llic  pu1)lic  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
ty. After  leaving-  school  he  began  the  study 
of  veterinary  surgery  with  Dr.  Osborn,  of 
Montgomery  county,  and  in  three  years  be- 
came thoroughly  competent  to  practice. 
Since  then  he  has  tievoted  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  his  profession  and  has  met 
with  marked  success  in  practice  wherever  he 
has  gone.  In  1900  he  came  to  Morrison- 
villc,  where  he  at  first  met  with  competition 
but  as  he  soon  gained  most  of  the  practice 
he  has  had  the  entire  field  to  himself  for  the 
past  three  years.  His  skill  and  ability  have 
become  widely  recognized  and  he  now  re- 
vives calls  from  twelve  to  eighteen  miles 
in  every  direction  around  Morrisonville. 
Purchasing  three  lots  in  the  city  he  has 
erected  thereon  a  neat  and  substantial  resi- 
dence and  is  now  building  a  hospital  stable, 
A\here  he  cat?  treat  all  chronic  diseases  of 
horses  to  much  better  advantage  than  at 
their  homes. 

In  1898  Dr.  Balsley  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Cornelia  McReynolds,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  three  children :  Ma- 
rion Andrew,  Milferd  G.,  and  Milton  Der- 
ward.  Socially  the  Doctor  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
Modern  American  of  Morrisonville.  and 
during  his  residence  in  that  city  has  made  a 
host  of  warm  friends. 


BENJAMIN  A.  TURNER. 

Among  the  native  sons  of  Christian  coun- 
ty who  have  won  success  and  occupy  an  en- 
viable and  prominent  position  in  business 
circles,  is  Benjamin  A.  Turner,  wdno  is  now 
engaged  in  banking  at  Edinburg.  His  salient 
characteristics  are  determination,  diligence 
and  keen  sagacity  and  upon  these  he  has 
budded  his  prosperity,  winning  hig-h  and 
well  merited  measure  of  success.     He  is  a 


son  of  John  L.  Turner,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Taylorville.  The  birth  of  our  sub- 
ject occurred  in  Taylor\-ille  on  the  23d  of 
July,  1868,  and  he  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  continuing  his  studies  until  he 
was  graduated  in  the  high  school  wdth  the 
class  of  1886.  He  then  further  prepared 
for  the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of 
life  by  pursuing  a  commercial  course  in  the 
Jacksonville  Business  College,  in  wdiich  he 
was  graduated  in  1887.  On  completing  his 
studies  there  he  came  to  Edinburg,  where 
he  entered  the  employ  of  George  P.  Harring- 
ton, a  banker  with  wdiom  he  continued  until 
Mr.  Harrington's  suspension  of  business  in 
1893.  In  April,  1894,  Mr.  Turner  organ- 
ized a  bank  of  his  own  in  Edinburg  and  has 
since  conducted  it,  meeting  with  a  much 
greater  measure  of  success  even  than  he  an- 
ticipated. He  now  has  a  very  large  patron- 
age and  the  bank  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  reliable  financial  concerns  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  He  maintains  a  sound  co'n- 
servative  policy  that  has  won  public  confi- 
dence and  at  the  same  time  his  methods  are 
progressive.  He  also  has  a  half  interest  in 
the  grain  firm  of  Eirev  Brothers  &  Turner, 
doing-  a  general  grain  business  and  operating 
an  elevator  at  Edinburg  and  also  one  at 
Roby.  Illinois.  His  property  interests  in- 
clude the  bank  building  and  the  implement 
house  of  Eirey  Brothers  on  the  west  side. 
The  bank  proper  consists  of  two  rooms  and 
is  supplied  with  modern  fixtures,  fire  proof 
vault,  burglar  proof  safe  and  safety  deposit 
boxes.  In  connection  with  the  bank  Mr. 
Turner  has  a  commodious  and  fine  resi- 
dence. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  1890,  Mr.  Turner 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  B. 
Swigert,  a  daughter  of  John  F.  Swigert.  a 
retired  farmer  of  Edinburg.  They  have 
three  sons:     Homer  Amos,  who  was  born 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


233 


June  8,  1891 ;  ElHs  Keith,  born  September 
24,  1894;  and  John  Benjamin,  born  July 
26,  1898.  Mr.  Turner  has  served  as  town- 
ship school  treasurer  since  1894  and  has 
been  a  notary  public  since  1890.  He  is  a 
■  member  of  Electric  Lodge,  No.  505,  K.  P., 
is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  and 
with  the  Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal  Ameri- 
cans. He  is  a  typical  American  citizen,  wide- 
awake, alert  and  enterprising",  carrying  for- 
ward to  successful  completion  whatever  he 
undertakes  and  making  opportunity  for  ad- 
vancement if  none  seems  to  exist.  Thus  he 
is  continually  working  his  way  upward  and 
already  he  has  attained  a  very  creditable  and 
enviable  position  in  the  business  circles  of 
Christian  county. 


GEORGE  W.  ADAMS. 

Prominent  among  the  business  men  of 
Moweaqua  is  numbered  George  W.  Adams, 
who  has  been  a  resident  of  Christian  coun- 
ty throughout  life,  his  present  home  being 
just  over  the  line  from  Shelby  county.  All 
his  interests  from  boyhood  have  been  closelv 
associated  with  this  locality  and  no  man  in 
the  community  is  better  known.  He  has  a 
well  established  business  as  a  dealer  in  wag- 
ons, carriages,  and  farm  machinery  and  is 
one  of  the  leading  auctioneers  in  this  part 
of  the  country. 

Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
May  II,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Hon.  Joseph 
Adams,  who  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  distinguished  citizens 
of  this  locality,  his  home  being  in  Prairieton 
township.  He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  in  1833,  and  was  only  three  years  of 
age  when  brought  to  Christian  county.  Here 
he  grew  to  manhood  and  as  a  life  work 
followed  farming.  His  fellow  citizens, 
recognizing   his    worth    and    ability,    called 


him  to  public  office  and  he  served  his  dis- 
trict in  the  state  legislature  in  the  winter  of 
1 88 1,  being  one  of  the  memorable  one  hun- 
dred and  one.  He  also  occupied  nearly  all 
of  the  local  offices  within  the  gift  of  the 
people,  serving  as  supervisor  of  Prairieton 
township  for  twenty  years  and  as  school 
trustee  for  thirty-four  years.  After  a  use- 
ful and  well  spent  life  he  died  on  the  iitli 
of  February,  1903.  In  1856  he  married 
Nancy  Widick. 

George  W.  Adams  received  a  good  prac- 
tical education  in  the  schools  of  Blooming- 
ton  and  Decatur,  and  when  not  in  school 
gave  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  labors  dur- 
ing his  minority.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  took  charge  of  a  part  of  the  home  farm 
and  in  connection  with  its  cultivation  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  carrying  on  that  work 
until  his  removal  to  Moweaqua  in  1892.  For 
six  years  thereafter  he  engaged  in  buying 
and  shipping  stock  and  then  embarked  in 
his  present  business,  as  a  dealer  in  wagons, 
carriages  and  farm  machinery.  He  is  also 
interested  in  buying  and  selling  horses  and 
as  an  auctioneer  his  services  are  often  in 
demand.  Success  has  attended  his  well  di- 
rected efforts  and  besides  his  village  prop- 
erty he  now  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  on  section  11,  Prairie- 
ton township. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1884,  Mr.  Adams 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Essie  Ayers, 
a  daughter  of  Martin  Ayers,  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  Moweaqua,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  three  children :  Glen, 
now  a  clerk  in  the  Review  office  at  Decatur ; 
Ralph  and  Ruth,  both  at  home.  The  mother 
and  children  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Adams  is  con- 
nected with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica.   His  political  support  is  given  the  Demo- 


234 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cratic  party,  and  for  four  years  he  served 
as  supervisor  of  Prairielon  township.  He 
is  a  man  of  i;"enuine  worth  and  stands  high 
in  the  community  where  he  has  so  long- 
made  his  home.  Those  who  know  him  best 
are  numl^ered  among;  his  warmest  friends 
and  no  citizen  of  Moweaqua  is  more  highly 
respected. 


JOHN  BOND  RICKS. 

Tlie  student  of  history  does  not  need  to 
carry  his  investigations  far  into  the  annals 
of  Christian  county  ere  he  learns  of  the  im- 
portant part  which  the  Ricks  family  has 
taken  in  the  improvement  and  development 
of  this  section  of  the  state.  In  both  the  pa- 
ternal and  maternal  lines  the  Ricks  family 
is  of  English  origin  and  the  ancestors  of  the 
subject  of  this  review  came  to  America  prior 
to  the  Revolutionary  v.-ar,  establishing 
homes  in  the  Carolinas.  Richard  Ricks,  the 
paternal  grandfather,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  valiantly  espousing  the  cause  of 
the  colonists  and  rendering  effective  aid  to- 
ward securing  the  independence  of  the  na- 
tion. At  a  later  date  the  family  removed  to 
Kentucky,  w-here  William  Skinner  Ricks, 
the  father  of  John  Bond  Ricks,  was  \x)n\. 
He  resided  in  that  state  until  1835,  when  he 
came  to  Christian  countv.  Illinois,  set- 
tling  in  Bear  Creek  township,  on  section  34, 
town  12,  range  3,  west.  He  had 
purchased  land  there  of  his  brother-in-* 
law,  Thomas  P.  Bond.  He  afterward 
entered  large  tracts  of  land  in  other  parts  of 
the  township  and  county  and  devoted  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits  for  many 
years.  He  remained  upon  his  farm  until  he 
had  reached  an  advanced  age,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  and  subsecjuent- 
ly  took  up  his  abode  near  Spring-field,  where 
he  died  on  the  7th  of  March,  1873.     He  was 


a  very  prominent  and  influential  man  in  his 
locality,  especially  during-  the  early  period  in 
the  historv  of  the  countv.  He  was  largeh' 
instrumental  in  having  Christian  county  set 
off  from  adjoining  districts  and  organized, 
and  was  chosen  the  first  sheriff  of  the  coun- 
ty, after  which  he  was  re-elected  for  a  sec- 
ond term.  In  1844  he  was  called  upon  to 
represent  his  district  in  the  state  legislature 
and  while  a  member  of  that  body  he  was  the 
roommate  and  intimate  friend  of  Lyman 
Trumbull.  His  sagacity  and  public  spirit 
made  him  the  champion  of  many  measures 
for  the  general  good  and  he  left  the  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  much  of  the  legis- 
lation of  that  period  which  has  proven  of 
material  benefit  to  the  commonwealth.  He 
married  Miss  Margaret  U.  Bond,  who  died 
in  1865.  By  this  marriage  there  were  eleven 
children :  Richard  W.,  Martha,  Elizabeth, 
Alyra,  John  Bond,  Quintus,  Marcella,  Nan- 
cy, William  T.,  Margaret  and  Newell  Doug- 
las, all  of  wliom  are  now  deceased.  In  1867 
Mr.  Ricks  wedded  Edith  Gibson,  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  unto  this  union  was  born  one 
child,  Thrace,  wdio  is  now  living  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

John  Bond  Ricks,  the  fifth  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  Trigg  county,  Kentucky,  on  the 
4th  of  November,  1833,  and  was  therefore 
only  about  a  year  and  a  half  old  at  the  time 
of  the  removal  of  his  parents  to  Illinois.  He 
attended  the  country  schools  of  Christian 
county,  receiving  such  instruction  as  they 
afforded  at  that  time,  and  he  also  spent  one 
term  in  the  seminary  in  Mechanicsburg,  | 
Sangamon  county.  Subsequent  to  that  time 
he  entered  the  McKendree  College  at  Leban- 
on, Illinois,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
two  terms.  Upon  his  return  home  he  en- 
»ao-ed  in  the  stock  business  and  became  the 
most  extensive  dealer  and  shipper  in  the 
county.     He  was  always   enterprising  and 


JUDGE  J.   B.   RICKS 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


237 


iiuUistrioiis,  and  his  strong  determination 
also  proved  a  salient  feature  in  his  very  suc- 
cessful career.  He  continued  in  business 
until  1873,  and  through  his  capable  manage- 
ment and  marked  energy  won  a  splendid 
competence. 

Like  his  father,  John  Bond  Ricks  was  in- 
fluential in  the  public  affairs  of  the  county 
and  was  honored  by  political  preferment  on 
various    occasions.       His    strong    mentality 
and    marked    individuality   rendered   him   a 
natural  leader  of  thought  and  opinion  and  at 
all  times  his  labors  were  actuated  by  unfal- 
tering  devotion    to    the   general    good.     In 
1865    he   was    elected    sheriff    of    Christian 
county,  and  in  the  following  year  he  was 
nominated  by  acclamation  for  the  office  of 
representative.     In    November   the  election 
was  held  and  he  was  chosen  for  the  position 
by  a  handsome  majority.     While  a  member 
of  the  general  assembly  he  served  on  several 
important   committees,    including   the   com- 
mittee that  was  appointed  to  investigate  the 
conditions  of  the  insane  asylum  at  Jackson- 
ville and  all   other  public  institutions.      He 
was  also  one  of  the  committee  that  accepted 
the  site  for  the  state  house  and  made  strenu- 
ous eft'ort  toward  placing  it  in  its  present 
location.     In  1868  he  was  elected  to  the  of- 
fice  of  circuit   clerk   and   in    1872   was  re- 
elected, continuing  in  the  position  until  1876, 
when  he  retired  from  the  office  as  he  entered 
it — with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all. 
In  1882  he  again  represented  his  county  in 
the  state   legislature,    being   elected   to    the 
thirty-third  general  assembly.     He  took  an 
active  part  in  the  Iju'^iness  that  w-as  transact- 
ed in  the  council  chambers  of  the  state,  and 
his  course  was  ever  above  suspicion,  being 
characterized  by  unfaltering  loyalty  to  the 
general  welfare.     He    commanded    the    re- 
spect of  the  members  of  the  legislature  and 
at  home,    in    the    county   of   his    adoption, 


where  he  was  best  known,  he  inspired  per- 
sonal friendships  of  unusual  strength  and  all 
who  knew  him  had  the  highest  admiration 
for  his  good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind. 

On   the    24th    of    December,    185 1,    Mr. 
Ricks  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Docia 
B.  Haynes,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of  Sanga- 
mon  county,   Illinois.     Five  children   were 
born  of  this  union:  James  B.,  Henrietta  I., 
Laura   B.,    Margaret    E.    and    Quintus    A. 
Three  of  the  number  are  still  living.     The 
wife  and  mother  died  July   19,    1888,   and 
Mr.   Ricks  survived  her  about  seven  years, 
departing  this  life  September  7,  1895.     He 
is  classed  among  those  wdio  have  been  active 
in  promoting  the  development  and  molding 
the  policy  of  Christian  county  and  is  now 
numbered  among  its  honored  dead. 

James  B.   Ricks,  the  eldest  son  of  John 
Bond  Ricks,  w^as  born  near  Taylorville  in 
Bear  Creek  township,  December  23,    1852. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  county 
seat,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  in  the  year  1869  he  entered  the  Wesley- 
an     University     at     Bloomington,     Illinois, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  until  1872.  He 
began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Andrew 
Simpson  and  John  B.  Jones,  attorneys  of 
Taylorville,  and  after  successfully   passing 
the  required  examination  w^as  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Illinois  in  June,  1874.     Immedi- 
ately afterw^^rd  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  law,  remaining  alone  until  1885,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  C.  Creighton, 
which    relation    was   long   continued.       No 
dreary  novitiate  awaited  him,   for  he  soon 
demonstrated  his  power  to  handle  intricate 
legal  problems    and   a   large   and   growing 
clientage  was  accorded  him. 

On  the  23d  of  December.    1872,   Judge 
Ricks  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Pam- 


u 


238 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


mie  L.  (k'ttmaclier.  of  rtlddiiiin^tnii.  Illi- 
nois, and  unto  them  were  born  six  children, 
three  of  whom  are  li\ino".  Agnes  is  the 
wife  of  l)r.  W  .  1 1.  I  louser.  a  practicing  phy- 
sician of  'ra_\lor\  ille,  and  nnto  them  liase 
been  l)orn  two  children,  of  whom  one  is  li\- 
ing.  P)yron  Kicks  Ihrnser.  Jesse  j.,  who 
was  graduated  at  the  d\aylor\ille  township 
high  school  in  June,  il^'jj.  entered  the  Uni- 
\-ersit}'  of  .Michigan  in  the  following  Sep- 
tember, and  was  graduated  on  the  comple- 
tion of  a  literary  course  in  the  class  of  kjoi. 
He  then  entered  the  law  tlepartment  of  the 
same  uni\ersit}-.  and  was  graduated  in  1903. 
He  successfully  passed  the  Illinois  state  bar 
examination  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
October  of  that  year,  since  which  time  he 
has  resided  in  Chicago.  Glenn  A.,  the 
youngest  child,  is  also  a  graduate  of  the 
Taylorville  high  school,  having  completed 
the  course  at  that  institution  in  June,  1903. 
In  September  of  the  same  year  he  entered 
the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  is  at 
present  pursuing  a  course  in  ci\il  engineer- 
ing. 

Judge  Ricks  has  been  acti\e  and  inHuen- 
tial  in  tommunitv  affairs  and  his  in^f^uence 
has  also  extended  to  the  interests  of  the  state 
along  political  and  fraternal  lines.  He  is  a 
distingtiished  member  of  the  Kni^'hts  of 
l'}thias  fraternit}-.  in  Illinois  served  as 
grand  chancellor  in  i8(S5  and  1886,  and  is 
now  a  past  grand  chancellor.  His  local 
membership  is  with  Mystic  Lodge  No.  64, 
K.  1'..  in  which  he  has  passed  all  of  the 
chairs.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Benevo- 
lent Protective  Order  of  Elks,  being  affili- 
ated with  Springfield  Lodge. 

His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
Democratic  party,  and  he  has  talcen  a  very 
active  interest  in  campaign  work,  do- 
ing everything  in  his  ])()wer  to  pnjuiote 
the  interests  of  the  Democracv.      breciuentlv 


he  has  been  selected  to  fill  positions  of  i)nl)- 
lic  trust.  He  spent  three  years  in  Washing- 
ton as  stiper\'ising  examiner  of  the  pension 
bureati  from  the  Hudson  district,  and  in  that 
office  had  about  one  lumdred  special  exam- 
iners under  his  charge.  In  June,  1892,  he 
serxed  as  a  delegate  to  the  national  Demo- 
cratic coUN'ention  in  Chicago  and  strongly 
adx'ocated  the  nomination  oi  Grover  Cleve- 
land. In  1889  he  was  elected  mayor  of 
'ra}'lor\ille.  ser\ing  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
His  administration  proxed  to  be  a  prosper- 
ous era  in  the  history  of  the  city.  During  his 
term  the  electric  light  system  was  established 
and  man)-  other  works  of  pul)lic  improve- 
ment were  put  in  operation.  Mr.  Ricks 
started  the  petition  for  the  establishment  of 
waterworks.  While  reading  law  in  the  of- 
fice of  Mr.  Jones  he  drew  plruis,  which 
changed  the  old  town  to  a  village  and  after 
one  year  drew  up  a  ]ietition  to  make  Tay- 
lorville a  city,  which  was  done.  When  a 
candidate  for  mayor  he  i)lainly  stated  that 
he  would  not  acce])t  the  office  unless  the 
waterworks  sy.stem  was  strengthened  during 
his  term,  and  this  commendable  work  was 
accomplished.  The  water  sui)ply  was 
doubled.  The  original  ])lant  worth  twenty 
thousand  dollars  was  supplemented  by  one 
worth  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  a  number 
of  miles  (^f  mains  were  laid.  Along  other 
lines  of  progress  and  improvement  his  in- 
lluence  and  co-operation  were  felt  and  he 
fully  exercised  his  official  prerogatives  in 
support  of  the  material  upbuilding  and  sub- 
stantial development  of  his  city.  C^n  the 
ijth  of  .\pril,  190T,  he  was  nominated  at 
the  Litchfield  convention  for  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  supreme  coiul  of  the  second 
judicial  district  of  Illinois  to  fill  the  unex- 
pired term  of  Jesse  J.  Philii)ps.  deceased, 
and  was  elected  on  the  21st  of  May,  1901, 
recei\ing  a  majority  of  eight}--three  hundred 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


239 


and  forty-six.  Already  lie  lias  proven  him- 
self to  be  the  peer  of  the  ablest  members  of 
the  conrt  of  last  resort.  His  decisions  indi- 
cate strong  mentality,  careful  analysis,  a 
thorongh  knowledge  of  law  and  an  unbiased 
judgment.  The  judge  on  the  bench  fails 
more  frequently,  perhaps,  from  a  deficiency 
in  that  liroad-mindedness  which  not  only 
comprehends  the  details  of  a  situation  quick- 
ly and  that  insures  a  complete  self-control 
under  even  the  most  exasperating  conditions 
than  from  any  other  cause;  and  the  judge, 
who  makes  a  success  in  the  discharge  of  his 
multitudinous  delicate  duties  is  a  man  of 
well-rounded  character,  finely-balanced  mind 
and  of  splendid  intellectual  attainments. 
That  Judge  Ricks  is  regarded  as  such  a 
jurist  is  a  uniformly  accepted  fact. 


EDWARD  C.  WATSON. 

Edward  C.  Watson,  who  was  formerly 
identified  with  educational  interests  in  Illi- 
nois and  is  now  efficiently  serving  as  post- 
master of  Assumption,  was  born  in  Academy, 
Ontario  county.  New  York,  June  8,  1862, 
and  is  descended  from  English  ancestry,  his 
paternal  grandparents,  Francis  and  Joseph- 
ine (  Price)  \Vatson,  being  natives  of  York- 
shire, England.  The  former  was  born  in 
1795  and  was  provided  with  most  liberal 
educational  advantages,  being  a  graduate  of 
Oxford  University.  In  1822  he  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  locating  in  Luzerne  county,  Penn- 
syhania.  He  was  an  excellent  Greek,  He- 
brew and  Latin  scholar  and  at  one  time 
was  identified  with  some  work  in  connec- 
tion with  the  translation  of  the  Bible  in  New- 
York  city.  By  profession,  however,  he  w^as 
a  cixil  engineer  and  surveyor.  His  death 
occurred  in  New  York  in  1867. 

Theodore  T.   Watson,  the   father  of  our 


subject,  w^as  born  in  Pittston,  Luzerne  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  March  8,  1835,  and  died 
August  14,  1885.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  followed  that  pursuit  in  New 
York  and  Illinois.  In  the  former  state  he 
married  Ann  Eliza  Cahoon,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  New  York,  April  13,  1837,  a 
daughter  of  Hiram  and  Adeline  (Henry) 
Cahoon,  both  of  w  horn  were  natives  of  west- 
ern New  York.  With  his  family  Theodore 
T.  Watson  removed  to  Illinois  in  January, 
1867,  settling  in  Fidelity,  Jersey  county,  and 
there  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1868,  he  removed  to  Christian  county 
and  after  living  for  a  short  time  in  Assump- 
tion removed  to  a  farm  near  Radford,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1883. 
He  then  retired  to  Assumption  where  he 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  two  years 
later.  His  widow  is  still  living  in  Assump- 
tion in  her  sixty-sixth  year.  Their  children 
were  six  in  number.  The  eldest,  Mrs.  Ada 
Prall,  died  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  in  1892,  leav- 
ing two  sons,  Roy  and  Newton.  Josephine, 
named  for  her  paternal  grandmother,  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Snell,  of  Mow^eaqua,  Illinois. 
Edward  C.  is  the  third.  Lyda  died  at  the 
age  of  ten  years  and  two  died  in  infancy. 

Edw^ard  C.  Watson  began  his  education 
in  the  district  schools  and  spent  one  year  as 
a  student  in  Assumption  and  two  years  in  the 
State  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso.  His 
own  education  being  completed,  he  then  en- 
gaged in  teaching  W'ith  success  for  several 
years,  first  having  charge  of  a  district  school 
in  Cherokee  county,  Iowa,  and  the  second 
year  of  the  school  in,  his  old  home  district 
in  Christian  county,  where  he  had  previously 
been  a  pupil.  The  next  three  years  were 
spent  in  the  Assumption  school,  being  prin- 
cipal of  the  same  the  last  year.  He  then 
became  principal  of  the  school  of  Towerhill, 
§helby  county,   Illinois,  after  which  he  re- 


240 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


turned  to  Assumption  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  clerk  with  the  Assumption  Coal 
&  Mining  Company,  serving  in  that  capacity 
in  a  most  commendable  manner  for  ten  con- 
secutive years.  On  the  <Sth  of  March,  1902, 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Assumption 
and  has  since  had  charge  of  tlie  office,  con- 
ducting its  affairs  in  a  systematic  and  busi- 
nesshke  manner  which  gives  general  satis- 
faction to  its  patrons.  He  also  served  as 
\illage  clerk  of  Assumption  in  1886  and  at 
all  times  has  been  found  loyal  to  the  trust 
reposed  in  him.  Fcm"  sixteen  years  he  has 
been  a  director  of  the  Assumption  Building 
.&  Loan  Association  and  for  a  time  was  also 
its  treasurer. 

Mr.  Watson  was  married  in  Assumption, 
May  15,  1890,  to  Miss  Laura  Travis,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  M.  and  Jane  G.  (Bar- 
rett)  Travis,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  M.  L. 
Barrett,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Christian  county,  settling  here  in  1858. 
Mr.  Travis  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania 
and  in  1855  removed  westward,  settling  in 
Shelby  county,  Illinois.  M.  B.  Travis,  of 
Chicago,  Byron  Travis,  of  Assumption,  and 
H.  C.  Travis  are  brothers  of  Mrs.  Watson. 
Unto  Mr.  Watson  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  two  sons :     Leland  and  Myron. 

A  valued  member  of  several  fraternal  or- 
ganizations, Mr.  Watson  is  now  actively 
identified  with  Ih'dwnwell  Lodge,  No.  451, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  filled  all  of  its  of- 
fices, serving  as  its  master  for  four  terms. 
He  also  belongs  to  Tecumseh  Lodge,  No. 
683,  L  O.  O.  V. ;  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America;  the  Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal 
Americans;  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
Leacfue.  In  the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
wdiich  he  has  long  been  an  active  and  leading 
member,  he  is  now  serving  as  elder  and  is 
the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 


D.  A.  GRISWOLD. 

D.  A.  Griswold,  who  is  n.ow  living  in  Blue 
Mound,  has  for  many  years  been  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  prosperous  agricul- 
turists of  Moscjuito  township,  ow'ning  a  well 
improved  and  valuable  farm  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois, his  birth  ha\ing  occurred  in  Greene 
county,  this  state,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Edgar  and  Lucy 
(  North)  Griswold.  wdio  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont and  Illinois  respectively.  The  father 
came  to  this  state  in  1831,  and  here  he  pros- 
pered in  his  farming  operations,  becoming 
the  owaier  of  fifteen  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  drained  and  improved. 
F'ive  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  this  was  in 
Christian  county. 

D.  A.  Griswold  is  the  sixth  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children.  During 
his  boyhood  he  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Greene  county  and  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  high  school  of  Greenfield.  He 
aided  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm  until  twenty  years  of  age  and  then 
came  to  Christian  county,  where  he  culti- 
vated his  father's  land  for  some  time.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  two  lumdred  and  forty 
acres  of  fine  farming  land  in  Moscjuito  town- 
ship, wdiere  the  family  resided  for  tw^enty- 
eight  years,  but  they  are  now  living  in  Blue 
Mound,  wdiere  he  has  residence  property. 
He  also  owns  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land  in  southeastern  Missouri.  Recently  he 
has  become  interested  in  the  Axle  Skein  Nut 
Lock  Company,  a  new  manufacturing  con- 
cern of  Pana.  A  man  of  keen  discrimina- 
tion and  sound  judgment,  he  has  met  with 
excellent  success  in  business  affairs  and  is 
accounted  one  of  the  most  substantial  citi- 
zens of  his  community. 

Mr.  Griswold  was  married  on  the  nth  of 
July,  1875,  to  Miss  Etna  Baldwin,  wdio  was 


D.  A.  GRISWOLD  AND   FAMILY 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


243 


born  in    1856,   a  daughter  of   Francis  and 
Ag-nes   (Bowman)    Baldwin.        Her    father 
was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Greene  county,  Illinois,  but 
her  mother  was  born   in   Tazewell  county, 
this   state.     Unto   Mr.    and  Mrs.    Griswold 
have  been   born    five  children,   as    follows: 
Lewis  E.,  born  in  Greene  county,  has  been 
emplo}'ed    as  a     government    surveyor     in 
Louisiana  and  wSouth  Carolina,  where  he  is 
now  located.     Lucy  Agnes,  born  in  Chris- 
tian county,  is  the  wife  of  Scott  Davidson, 
a  farmer  of  this  county.      Marcus  A.,  also 
born  in  Christian  county,  died  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years.      Harry  E.,  l)orn  in  Christian 
comity,  is  at  home.     Charles  L.,  also  born 
here,   died  at  the  age  of  two  years.     The 
family  are  members  of  the  Christian  church 
and  are  people  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity  where   they   reside.      By   his    liallot 
Mr.   Griswold  su])ports  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party,  and  for  several 
terms  he  has  efficiently  served  as  school  di- 
rector. 


JULIUS  SCKOWSKA. 

Julius  Sckowska,  who  is  a  representative 
agriculturist  of  Christian  county,  was  born 
in  Prussia  in  1852,  a  son  of  John  and  Eve 
Sckowska,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
same  country.     The  son  obtained  his  educa- 
tion  in  the  schools  of  his  native  land  and 
also    in   the    common    schools    of   America, 
having  come  to  the  United  States  in   1867 
when  a  youth  of  fifteen  years.     He  first  lo- 
cated in  Springfield,   Illinois,  and  there  be- 
gan earning  his  living  by  working  in  a  brick 
yard.     Subsequently  he  was  employed  as  a 
stone-mason  for  two  years,  but  desirous  of 
entering   upon    an    independent   venture   he 
rented  a  farm  in  Sangamon  county,  which  he 
operated  for  three  years,  when  he  removed 


to   Christian   county.      He   lived   upon   one 
rented  farm  here  for  three  years  and  then 
rented  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near 
Blue   Mound    in   Macon   county,   where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  twenty 
years.  -  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
bought  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
in  Stonington  township.     The  splendid  ap- 
pearance of  his  place  is  due  entirely  to  his 
enterprising  efforts  for  he  has  made  all  of 
the  improvements  upon  it.     He  now  has  a 
very  valuable  farm,  the  soil-  being  rich  and 
productive  so  that  he  annually  harvests  good 
crops.      The   buiklings   are   substantial   and 
commodious  and  ex-erything  about  the  place 
is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  being  in 
keeping  with  the  modern  progressive  spirit. 
Mr.  Sckowska  also  has  an  interest  in  manu- 
facturing business   in   Pana,    Illiiiois.      His 
career  has  been  characterized  by  success  ow- 
ing to  earnest  and  persistent  labor  and  now 
he  is  numbered  among  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  his  adopted  county. 

In  March,  1873,  Mr.  Sckowska  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellveria  Kreegar,  also 
a  native  of  Prussia,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children  :   John,  who  mar- 
ried Clara  demons  and  is  living  in  Decatur ; 
Bertha,  Fred  and  Henry,  all  at  home.     The 
family  are  all  identified  with  the  Lutheran 
church  and  in   the  community   where  they 
reside  they  are   respected  because   of  their 
sterling  worth.     At  one  time  Mr.  Sckowska 
was  a  member  of  the  drainage  board.     In 
starting  out  in  life  he  had  to  borro\v  money 
with  which  to  come  to  the  United  States  and 
to-day  he  is  one  of  the  leading  and  substantial 
men  of  the  county,  his  life  history  showing 
what  can  be  accomplished  by  perseverance 
in  the  land  of  the  free,  where  opportunity 
is  not  hampered  by  caste  or  class.     There 
is  no  more  l(W'al  citizen  of  Christian  county 
than  this  adopted  son,  who  is  deeply  inter- 


244 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ested  in  everything  pertaining  to  general  im- 
provement and  is  most  faithful  in  all  public 
duties. 


ALLEN  B.  SMITH. 

.Xmong  the  leading  young  business  men 
of  Christian  county  should  lie  numbered  Al- 
len P>.  Smith,  who  has  been  identified  with 
the  erain  trade  for  several  vears  and  to-da\- 
owns  and  operates  an  elevator  at  Rosemond. 
In  his  special  line  of  business  he  has  met  with 
good  success  and  by  the  energy  and  zeal 
which  he  has  manifested  he  has  won  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  public. 

Mr.  Smith  was  l^orn  in-  Norwood  Park. 
Chicago,  on  the  i6th  of  December,  187 1. 
shortly  after  the  great  fire  in  that  city,  and 
is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Harriet  L.  (Hem- 
inewav)  Smith,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Connecticut,  respectively.  By  occupation 
the  father  was  a  contractor.  In  his  family 
were  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  still 
living,  namely:  Allen  B.,  of  this  sketch; 
Florence,  wife  of  James  Meikle,  of  Chicago; 
and  1-rances,  wife  of  Harry  De^''elde.  of 
the  same  city. 

During  his  Ixw'hood  Allen  B.  Smith  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Chicago  and 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1884.  After 
leaving  school  be  entered  the  employ  of  Mor- 
ris Plummer.  a  wholesale  druggist  of  that 
citv,  as  errand  bov  and  citv  buver  and  re- 
mained  with  the  firm  one  year.  During 
the  following  three  years  he  was  connected 
with  the  freight  claim  department  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  Company 
and  for  a  vear  and  a  half  was  wdth  the  James 
H.  W'alker  wholesale  dry  goods  house.  On 
account  of  failing  health  he  left  the  city  and 
traveled  through  the  west,  finally  coming  to 
Rosemond,   Illinois,  in    1893. 

On  the  6th  of  Septeml)er,  1893.  Mr.  Smith 


was  married  in  Rosemond  to  Miss  Mabel 
k.  Dodsfe,  a  daughter  of  P.  L.  and  Marie 
A.  (Chase)  Dodge,  now  of  Pana.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Montgomery  county.  New 
York,  June  10,  1843,  ^"^^  '^^'^^  married  in 
1869  to  Aliss  Marie  A.  Chase.  Her  birth 
occurred  in  Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  and 
her  parents  were  William  A.  and  Mary  M. 
(Cook)  Chase,  the  former  a  native  of  Mas-  \ 
sachusetts,  the  latter  of  Baltimore,  Alary- 
land.  Mr.  Dodge  was  treasurer  of  the  Con- 
o-reo-ational  church  at  Rosemond  for  manv 
vears,  was  also  school  treasurer  about  twen- 
ty-five years  and  was  prominent  in  the  affairs 
of  both  village  and  township.  As  a  grain 
merchant  he  carried  on  business  at  Rose- 
luond  for  several  years  and  at  the  time  of 
his  retirement  and  removal  to  Pana  was 
the  oldest  representative  of  that  line  of  in- 
dustry in  the  town.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  have  been  1)orn  three  children  but 
Chase  died  in  infancy.  He  was  given  ]\Irs. 
Dodge's  maiden  name.  Those  living  arc 
Frances  E..  named  for  her  aunt  in  Chicago; 
and  Marie  Antoinette,  named  for  her  ma- 
ternal grandmother. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Sniitli  removed 
to  Chicago  but  in  ]\Iay,  1894,  returned  to 
Rosemond,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
his  father-in-law  in  the  grain  and  hay  busi- 
ness until  about  1897,  '^vhen  he  assumed  con- 
trol of  the  enterprise.  He  owns  an  elevator, 
which  has  a  capacity  of  fifteen  thousand 
bushels  and  which  has  been  greatly  remod- 
eled by  him  by  the  ]uitting  in  of  nev,  ma- 
chinery, including  a  car-loader  and  auto- 
matic scale.  He  has  also  built  a  new  l)arn 
for  the  storage  of  baled  hay.  Mr.  Smith 
is  now  a  stockholder  and  one  of  the  lioard 
of  directors  of  the  Metzger  Hill  Company, 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  on  the  ist  of  Octo- 
ber. 1903.  began  acting  as  receiver  and  shi])- 
per  of  grain  and  hay  for  that  corporation, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


245 


shipping  the  first  month  two  hunchx-d  car- 
loads. He  is  a  very  energetic  and  eriter- 
prising,  business  man  .and  these  quahties 
combined  witli  industrious  habits  liavc 
brought  to  liim  a  web  merited  success. 

Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Smith 
has  affibated  with  the  Repubbcan  party  and 
has  served  as  school  treasurer  of  his  town- 
ship since  he  began  business  for  himself. 
He  is  also  filling  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace  at  the  present  time.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  earnest  and  cousistent  members  of 
the  First  Congregational  church  of  Rose- 
UKMid  and  she  takes  a  very  active  part  in  all 
church  work.  Socially  Mr.  Smith  V)elongs 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
Court  of  Houor  at  Rosemond  and  the  Ma- 
sonic order  at  Pana.  He  is  popular  in  Ijoth 
business  and  social  circles,  being  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman,  and  he  has  tlie  respect 
and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 


FRED  W.  ANDERSON. 

Honored    and    respected   by    all    there    is 
no  man  who  occupies  a  more  enviable  posi- 
tion in  the  financial  and  commercial  circles 
of  Taylorville  than  does  Fred  W.  Anderson, 
the  ])resident   of  the   First   National   Bank. 
This  is  not  alone  on  account  of  the  brilliant 
success  he  has  achieved  but  also  because  of 
the  straightforward,  honorable  business  pol- 
icy he  has  ever   followed.      It   is  true  that 
he   entered   upon   a  business   already  estab- 
lished but  in  enlarging  and  expanding  the 
enterprise  many  a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit 
would  have  failed  but  at  all  times  his  am- 
bitious and  progressiveness  have  been  evenly 
balanced  by  sound  judgment  and  to-day  he 
is  conducting  an  institution  which  may  well 
be  termed  one  of  the  most  reliable  financial 
concerns  of  this  part  of  the  state. 


Mr.  Anderson  is  a  son  of  the  late  W.  W. 
and  Martha  L.  (Wright)  Anderson,  who  are 
represented  on  another  page  of  this  volume. 
His  father  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
distinguished    citizens    of   this    part   of   the 
state.     His  mother,  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riaoe  to  Mr.  Anderson,  was  the  widow  of 
Dr.  Wright  of  Carlinville,  Illinois,  and  her 
father  was  Richard  Randle,  a  physician  and 
a     minister     of     the     Methodist     Episcopal 
church,   riding  the  circuit   in   southern   Illi- 
nois at  an  early  ])eriod  in  the  development 
of  this  state.     He  was  born  in  Georgia  in 
1800  and  died  in  Taylorville  in  1896,  at  the 
extreme  old  age  of  ninety-six  years.      Mr. 
Anderson   of   this   review    was   one  of   five 
children,    and    two   of   his   sisters   are   now 
living :    Grace  E.,  the  wife  of  Fred  C.  Haw- 
ley,  of  the  Paddock-Hawley  Iron  Company, 
of   St.   Louis,   Missouri;   and  Julia  W.,   of 
Taylorville.      Both   are   stockholders   in  the 
First  National  Bank.     Hiram  R.  Anderson, 
the  brother,   died   September  4.    1891,   and 
Nannie  W.  died  in  childhood. 

A  native  son  of  Taylorville,  iM'ed  W. 
Anderson  was  born  September  19,  1865,  and 
pursued  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  wdiile  later  he  attended  the  Wyman 
Institute  in  Alton,  Illinois,  and  the  Wes- 
levan  University,  in  Bloomington.  He  then 
became  a  student  in  the  Peekskill  Military 
Academy,  in  Peekskill,  New'  York,  and  in 
1885  he  entered  upon  his  business  career 
as  a  bookkeeper  in  his  fathers  bank. 
Through  this  institution  he  has  gradually 
advanced  as  he  has  mastered  all  the  details 
of  the  business  until  he  has  attained  the  presi- 
dency. On  the  I  St  of  January,  1889,  he  was 
elected  assistant  cashier.  His  brother  Hi- 
ram was  the  first  cashier  of  the  institution 
but  was  obliged  to  resign  on  account  of  ill 
health  and  was  succeeded  by  our  subject  on 
the  2d  of  January,  1890.     He  filled  that  po- 


24G 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


sition  until  after  the  death  of  his  father  in 

1893.  when  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the 
presidency,    and    on    the    loth    of   January, 

1894.  he  was  formally  elected.  As  the  head 
of  the  hank  he  has  instituted  a  ])olicy  that 
has  met  with  pul)lic  approval  as  indicated 
hv  the  liheral  patronage  accorded  the  insti- 
tution, and  during-  his  presidency  the  sur- 
plus and  undivided  profits  liave  increased 
from  fifteen  thousand  to  eighty  thousand  dol- 
lars and  the  deposits  from  two  hundred 
thousand  to  five  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  The  hank  has  always  paid  good 
dividends  and  the  First  National  is  an  en- 
terprise of  marked  value  to  Taylorville  and 
the  surrounding  country.  The  interior  was 
entirely  remodeled  in  1903  and  it  is  now  one 
of  the  most  modern  institutions  of  the  kind 
in  the  state.  There  is  a  safety  deposit  vault 
for  the  private  use  of  customers.  The  oifice 
fixtures  are  of  marble  and  enameled  steel. 
Mr.  Anderson  is  also  a  director  in  the  Pana 
National  Bank  and  has  been  the  president 
of  the  Taylorville  Electric  Company  since 
1894.  succeeding  his  father  in  that  position. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1901,  Mr.  Anderson 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Adelia  B. 
Sanders,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  the 
hospitality  of  their  beautiful  home  makes  it 
the  center  of  a  cultured  society  circle.  Mr. 
Anderson  belongs  to  Mound  Lodge,  No.  122, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Mystic  Lodge,  No.  64,  K.  P. 
For  several  years  he  has  been  the  president 
of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Taylorville  and 
is  always  associated  with  the  most  enterpris- 
ing cttizens  in  the  promotion  of  any  move- 
ment for  the  welfare,  progress  and  expansion 
of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  unusual  social 
qualities,  being  royally  endowed  with  those 
traits  of  character  which  win  and  extend 
friendship.  He  is  a  gentleman  in  the  truest 
and  highest  sense  of  the  term  and  Taylorville 
numbers  him  among  her  honored  sons. 


LEWLS  r.ARTLFTT. 

The  deserved  reward  of  a  well  spent  life 
is  an  honored  retirement  fnmi  business,  in 
which  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  former  toil. 
To-day,  after  a  useful  and  beneficial  career, 
Mr.  Bartlett  is  quietly  living  at  his  pleasant 
home  in  Mount  Auburn,  surrounded  by  the 
comfort  that  earnest  labor  has  brought  him. 
For  many  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  he  and  his  wife  still 
own  a  large  and  valuable  farm  in  this 
county. 

Mr.  Bartlett  was  born  in  Mississippi,  on 
the  22d  of  December,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of 
Elijah  and  Marcella  (Jones)  Bartlett,  who 
were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Alabama,  re- 
spectively. The  father  died  in  Mississippi 
and  the  mother  and  her  children  subsequent- 
ly removed  to  Kentucky  and  in  1856  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  near  Mechanicsburg. 
She  married  again,  her  second  husband  be- 
ing Peter  Hooper.  They  located  on  Mos- 
quito creek  in  Christian  county,  where  they 
made  their  home  until  1863.  By  her  first 
marriage  Mrs.  Hooper  had  five  children, 
four  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely :  Mar- 
tha, the  wife  of  William  Flunter,  now  living 
in  Iowa;  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of  John 
Patrick,  and  makes  her  home  near  FTam- 
mond,  Illinois ;  William,  who  lives  on  the 
Sangamon  river  in  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois ;  and  Lewis,  of  this  review. 

Lewis  Bartlett  acquired  but  a  limited  edu- 
cation in  tlie  district  schools  near  his  boy- 
hood home,  luit  his  training  at  farm  work 
was  not  so  meager  and  he  aided  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  home  farm  until  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  On  tiie  9th  of  March,  t88i, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah 
Cannon,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Martha 
Jane  (Hunter)  Cannon.  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  but  her  mother  was  born  in 
Illinois.     On  first  coming  to  this  state  Mr. 


i 


LEWIS    BARTLETT. 


JOHN  CANNON 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


249 


Cannon  located  in  Macon  county,  but  after- 
ward removed  to  Christian  county,  settling 
on  a  farm  four  miles  north  of  Mount  Au- 
burn in  Mosquito  township.  He  purchased 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  acres  of  wild 
prairie  land  whicli  he  converted  into  a  good 
farm,  erecting  all  of  the  buildings  thereon, 
and  he  made  his  home  there  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  March,  1874.  His  wife 
died  in  1868.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children,  all  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Bartlett  is  now  the  only  survivor.  A  daugh- 
ter was  Ijorn  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  but 
died  in  infancy. 

The  first  farm  that  Mr.  Bartlett  owned 
was  in  Kansas,  where  in  1871  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  government 
land.  On  his  return  to  Christian  county,  he 
traded  that  property  for  forty-five  acres  of 
land  in  Moscjuito  township  and  then  pur- 
chased forty  acres  more.  He  has  since  ad- 
ded to  his  landed  possessions  from  time 
to  time  until  he  and  his  wife  now  own  four 
hundred  and  fiftv-one  acres  of  fine  farming 
land,  she  having  inherited  her  father's  farm. 
To  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his 
place  Mr.  Bartlett  devoted  his  time  and  en- 
ergies until  October,  1903,  when  he  removed 
to  Mount  Auburn,  having  purchased  four 
lots  in  that  town  and  built  thereon  a  nice 
nine  room  residence  with  modern  conveni- 
ences and  also  a  large  barn.  Here  he  is  now 
living  retired,  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Bartlett  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  Order,  and  ])olitically  he  is 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  though 
at  local  elections  he  generally  votes  for  the 
man  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  for 
office,  regardless  of  party  lines.  He  and  his 
wife  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the 
county  which  has  so  long  been  their  home, 
and  those  who  know  them  best  are  numbered 
among  their  warmest  friends. 


WILLIAM  E.  SANDS. 

William  E.  Sands,  whose  home  is  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Mount  Auburn  township,  belongs 
to  that  class  of  men  whom  the  world  terms 
self-made,  for  commencing  life  empty-hand- 
ed he  has  conquered  the  obstacles  in  the  path 
of  success  and  has  not  only  secured  for  him- 
self a  good  home  and  competence  but  by  his 
efforts  has  materially  advanced  the  interests 
of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  Sands  was  born  in  Clermont  county, 
Ohio,  September  27,  1838,  a  son  of  Reuben 
and  Elizabeth  (Irwin)  Sands,  who  were 
also  born  in  the  east.  The  father  died  be- 
fore the  birth  of  our  subject  and  the  mother 
subsequently  removed  to  Kentucky,  where 
she  passed  away  in  1849.  Thus  Mr,  Sands 
was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  eleven  years 
and  having  no  relatives  to  care  for  him  he 
went  to  live  with  strangers  for  whom  he 
worked  as  a  farm  hand.  He  had.  accompa- 
nied his  mother  on  her  removal  to  Kentucky 
but  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  returned  to  Ohio 
and  located  in  Bethel,  where  he  worked  at 
grinding  bark  in  the  tanyard  belonging  to 
the  father  of  General  Grant,  receiving  three 
dollars  per  month  for  his  services. 

After  three  years  spent  in  this  way  Mr. 
Sands  came  to  Illinois  with  the  hope  of  col- 
lecting money  which  his  mother  had  left  with 
people  living  in  Schuyler  county  but  he  never 
received  a  cent  of  what  was  due  him.  He 
then  located  in  Cass  county,  this  state,  where 
he  worked  on  a  farm  during  the  summer 
and  attended  school  for  about  two  months 
during  the  winter,  working  in  the  early 
morning  and  at  night  for  his  board.  He 
remained  there  until  1862  and  for  one  year 
engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account  upon 
rented  land.  Coming  to  Christian  county, 
he  rented  land  of  James  C.  Conklin  through- 
out the  greater  part  of  the  time  until  1881, 


250 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


operating  a  farm  on  section  u.  Monnt  An- 
l)nrn  township,  where  the  village  of  Monnt 
Anhnrn  is  now  located.  He  took  np  liis 
residence  upon  his  present  farm  in  1881, 
lia\  ing  the  year  i)revious  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  on  sections  21  and 
22,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  improved  with  good  and 
suhstantial  huildings,  which  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  Tie  has  a 
nice  home,  where  surrounded  hy  all  the  com- 
forts which  make  life  worth  the  living,  he 
is  now  living  retired,  having  laid  aside  the 
active  duties  of  the  farm  ahout  thirteen  years 

ago. 

Mr.  Sands  was  married  in  1861  to  Miss 
fane  Dunn,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Dunn, 
who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Mount 
Auhurn  township,  having  located  there  in 
1856.  She  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  the  others 
heing  Mary,  Joseph  and  Anna,  who  all  died 
in  England;  John,  a  resident  of  Mount  Au- 
hurn township,  this  county;  and  Richard,  a 
resident  of  Mosquito  township.  Mrs.  Sands 
was  horn  in  Cornwall,  England,  Fehruary  4, 
1836.  and  was  twenty  years  of  age  when  she 
came  with  the  f.amily  to  Illinois.  She  was 
visitine  a  cousin,  Luke  Dunn,  in  Cass  conn- 
tv,  when  she  hecame  accpiainted  witli  Mr. 
Sands.  They  have  three  children  :  I'^dwin, 
who  is  married  and  follows  farming  in  Ricks 
township,  this  county;  Charles,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  is  a  memher  of  the  firm  of  Sands, 
Miller  &  Company,  of  Stonington;  and  Cora 
Belle,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Coleman,  who  now 
rents  and  operates  our  suhject's  farm. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sands  are  faithful  memhers 
of  the  Methodist  Epi.scopal  church  and  are 
most  estimable  ])eoi)le.  He  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  .America  and  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Republican  party,  casting  his 
first  vote   for  Abraham    Lincoln.      In    1858 


he  drove  across  the  country  to  Rushvillc  in. 
order  to  hear  Lincoln  speak.  A  black  ilag 
lloated  over  the  courthouse  in  which  he  made 
his  speech,  it  being  called  the  emblem  of  the 
Republican  parly  by  the  Democrats  at  that 
time.  \'(>Y  twenty-one  years  Mr.  Sands  filled 
the  office  of  school  director  and  has  ever 
taken  an  active  interest  in  those  measures 
calculated  to  advance  the  public  welfare. 
I  le  is  a  man  respected  and  honored  wher- 
ever known  and  most  of  all  where  he  is  best 
known. 


FRANKLIN  P.  SAILSBERY. 

Franklin  P.  Sailsbery,  whose  well  improved 
farm  on  section  3,  Stonington  township,  is 
the  indication  of  the  life  of  thrift  and  enter- 
prise which  he  has  led,  was  born  April  30. 
1852,  in  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Elias  and 
Sally  Ann  (Clcmons)  Sailsbery.  both  na- 
tives of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  a  daughter  of 
Chesterfield  and  b\annie  demons,  who  were 
born  in  New  York.  In  lSC^y  the  parents  of 
our  subject  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Christian  county,  where  Mr.  Sailsbery,  Sr., 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  Later  he 
bouo-bt  twenty  acres  of  timber  land  and  also 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Kansas.  In 
his  business  afTairs  he  prospered,  enjoying 
the  success  which  comes  as  a  reward  of  en- 
ergy, diligence  and  determination.  Unto 
him  and  his  wife  were  born  ten  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  the  sixth  in  order  of 
birth.  The  mother  is  still  living  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-one  years  and  yet  en- 
joys good  health.  She  makes  her  home 
with  her  son  b^-anklin. 

In  the  district  schools  of  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois iM-anklin  P.  Sailsbery  accjuired  his  edu- 
cation and  under  the  parental  roof  he  spewt 
the  days  of  his  early  boyhood.  He  started 
out  to  earn  his  own  living,  however,  when  a 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


251 


young  man  of  nineteen  years,  working  by 
the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  where 
he  now  resides.  As  his  financial  resources 
have  increased  he  has  added  to  his  property 
from  time  to  time  until  he  now  owns  four 
hundred  acres  of  very  valuable  farming  land, 
all  of  which  is  well  improved.  At  one  time 
he  engaged  in  operating  the  land  unon  which 
the  town  of  Stonington  now  stands,  farm- 
ing that  property  for  four  years.  He  had 
hut  forty-fi^•e  dollars  when  he  was  first  mar- 
ried and  with  this  meager  capital  he  started 
out  in  life  graduall}'  working  his  way  up- 
ward until  he  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  his  coun- 
ty. He  has  just  completed  a  fine  large  barn 
upon  the  home  place  and  the  other  impr()\-e- 
ments  there  are  in  keeping  with  this  struc- 
ture. When  his  farm  came  into  his  jios- 
session  the  land  was  all  raw  and  unimproved, 
but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its 
development  and  as  the  years  passed  he  has 
made  his  farm  one  of  the  best  in  all  this 
section  of  the  state. 

On  the  28th  of  January.  1875,  ^^^'-  Sails- 
bery  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Deckert  and  unto  them  were  born 
twelve  children:  Willie  C,  who  married 
Miss  Sarah  Ellen  Durbin  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Burkhart  township, 
Christian  county;  Oscar,  deceased;  Eranklin 
E.,  who  is  married  and  resides  near  Green- 
ville, Illinois;  George  V.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years;  Evert  M.,  who  is  living 
at  home;  Pearl  E.,  the  wife  of  Chester  L. 
Diveley,  who  is  engaged  in  the  confectionery 
Imsincss  in  Chicago.  Illinois;  Bemine  D.. 
Stella  R.,  Milas  P.,  Roy  and  Ray,  twins,  and 
Rogers  E.,  all  living  at  home.  The  mother 
passed  away  on  December  12,  1893,  and  on 
May    10,    1894,    Mr.    Sailsbery    was    again 


married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Harriet  Beihl,  who  was  born  May  3,  1863, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Powels) 
Beihl,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many, whence  they  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1842.  They  first  located  in  St. 
Louis,  but  after  six  months  removed  to 
Beardstown,  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Beihl  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  and  engaged 
in  farming.  He  died  July  30,  1876,  while 
his  wife,  long  sur\'iving  him,  passed  away 
September  22,  1902.  By  the  second  marriage 
of  Mr.  Sailsbery  there  are  two  children : 
Hazel  M.,  born  October  4,  1896;  and  Eern 
Viola,  born   September  4,   1900. 

Mr.  Sailsbery  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Reformed  church  in  Stonington  and 
he  l)elongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp. 
His  is  a  most  creditable  life  record  and  he 
receives  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men  be- 
cause of  ^^•hat  he  has  accomplished.  In  all 
his  Ijusiness  dealings  he  has  been  strictly  hon- 
orable, never  taking  advantage  of  the  neces- 
sities of  his  fellow  men  in  any  trade  trans- 
action. Moreover,  he  has  lieen  extremely 
diligent,  laboring  earnestly  year  after  year 
with  unremitting  zeal  in  order  to  win  suc- 
cess. He  started  out  with  no  family  or 
pecuniary  advantages  to  aid  him  and  placed 
his  dependence  upon  earnest,  persistent  ef- 
fort, which  is  the  real  foundation  of  all -pros- 
perity. In  this  way  he  has  gradually  ad- 
vanced until  he  now  occupies  a  very  credit- 
alile  and  honoralile  position  among  the  most 
substantial  farmers  of  his  county. 


Z.  E.  BATES. 

With  the  farming  and  stock-raising  inter- 
ests of  Locust  townshi})  this  gentleman  has 
been  identified  for  over  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury and  is  to-day  numbered  among  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community.   His 


252 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


home  is  on  section  30.  A  native  of  Illinois, 
he  was  horn  in  Sangamon  connty,  on  the 
1 2th  of  Jannarv.  1836.  and  is  a  son  of  Oli- 
ver and  Charity  (Buckman)  Bates,  who 
were  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Vermont, 
respectively.  In  1833  they  came  to  Illinois 
and  continued  to  make  their  home  in  this 
state  until  called  to  their  final  rest,  the  father 
dying-  in  April.  1865.  and  the  mother  in 
March.  1873. 

The  district  schools  of  this  state  afforded 
our  subject  the  educational  privileges  he 
enjoyed  during  his  l)oyhood  and  youth. 
After  leaving  school  he  worked  on  his  fath- 
er's farm  and  took  care  of  the  stock  during 
the  winter  until  thirty-three  years  of  age. 
He  then  located  on  his  present  farm  in  Lo- 
cust township,  where  he  first  purchased  three 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  1866.  Since  then 
he  has  extended  the  Ijoundaries  of  his  farm 
and  now  has  three  hundred  and  forty-two 
acres.  The  well  tilled  fields  yield  abundantly 
and  the  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  the 
place  indicates  the  supervision  of  a  careful 
and  painstaking  owner. 

Mr.  Bates  was  married  in  1868.  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Mrs.  Joanna  S.  Ellis, 
a  daughter  of  J.  H.  and  Catherine  IMurry, 
of  Ohio,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
the  following  named  children :  Roxanna 
C,  now  the  wife  of  Lyman  G.  Gundy,  of 
Taylorville;  Mary  M. ;  Josephine,  the  wife 
of  Brace  D.  Shrantf^,onow  living  in  Calcutta, 
Indiana;  Z.  F..  Jr. ;, Oliver  C. ;  Edward  H. ; 
Harriet  H.,  who  is  alttending  high  school  in 
Taylorville;  Charles  C.  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years;  and  Elizabeth  A.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  one  year.  Mrs.  Bates  is 
an  earnest  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  Mr.  Bates  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Masonic  lodge,  No.  62^,  of 
Ow^aneco.  The  Democratic  party  finds  in 
him  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles  and 


he  has  held  many  public  positions  of  honor 
and  trust.  ha\ing  filled  most  of  the  township 
oftices.  I'Dr  seven  or  eight  years  he  served 
as  supervisor  and  his  ofticial  duties  were  al- 
ways performed  in  an  able  and  satisfactory 
manner. 


DANIEL  DOYLE. 


Daniel  Doyle  is  a  retired  farmer  of  Tay- 
lorville and  one  of  the  extensive  landowners 
of  Christian  county,  his  property  possessions 
ao-p-regating  nine  hundred  acres.  His  has 
been  an  active  and  useful  career  and  one 
that  should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration 
and  encouragement  to  others,  for  it  proves 
what  can  be  accomplished  by  one  wdio  starts 
out  in  life  empty  handed  if  possessed  of  earn- 
est purpose  and  unfaltering  determination. 

Mr.  Doyle  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
his  birth  having  occurred  there  in  June,  183 1. 
His  parents  were  Patrick  and  ^Margaret 
Doyle,  and  the  former  died  in  Ireland  in 
1844.  The  mother  afterward  came  to  this 
country  with  her  son  Daniel,  who  settled 
in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  the  year  of 
their  emigration  being  1851.  He  had  ob- 
tained his  education  in  tlie  schools  of  his 
native  country  and  he  started  out  upon  his 
business  career  by  working  by  the  month. 
He  was  thus  employed  for  a  number  of 
years  and  \\hen  he  felt  that  he  could  profit- 
ably engage  in  farming  on  his  own  account 
he  rented  land  in  Sangamon  county,  where 
he  lived  for  eighteen  years.  He  then  came 
to  Christian  county  in  September,  1868,  and 
purchased  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land  in  Stonington  township.  As  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased  he  added  to  his 
])roperty  fn^m  time  to  time  until  his  landed 
])ossessions  now  aggregate  nine  hundred 
acres,  which  are  very  rich  and  valuable.  For 
many    years    he    continued     farming    and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


253 


his  methods  were  progressive,  prac- 
tical and  therefore  were  crowned  with 
good  results.  In  1896,  however,  he 
decided  to  put  aside  further  business 
cares  and  spend  his  remaining  days 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  He  had  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
raising  of  grain  and  to  feeding  stock  and 
in  both  departments  of  his  business  he  gained 
success.  On  leaving  the  farm  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Taylorville,  where  he  now  re- 
sides— one  of  the  respected  and  esteemed 
citizens  of  the  county  and  state. 

In  1858  Mr.  Doyle  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Kerwin,  who  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1836.  and  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage was  a  resident  of  Waverly,  Illinois. 
This  union  has  been  blessed  with  eight  chil- 
dren:  Patrick,  now  deceased;  James,  who 
is  married  and  lives  in  Springfield,  Illinois;  . 
Margaret  and  Johanna,  who  have  also  passed 
away ;  Lawrence,  who  resides  in  Stonington, 
Illinois;  Jerry  J.,  who  is  married  and  lives 
at  home;  Daniel  D.,  who  is  married  and  is 
located  in  Stonington;  and  Mollie,  the  wife 
of  Tony  May,  a  resident  of  Morrisonville. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doyle  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Catholic  church.  In  politics  he 
is  an  earnest  Democrat  and  has  been  hon- 
ored with  several  public  positions  by  his 
fellow  townsmen,  who  recognize  his  worth 
and  ability.  For  nine  years  he  served  as 
road  commissioner,  was  for  nine  years  a 
school  dh'ector  and  is  now  serving  as  alder- 
man in  Taylorville  from  the  third  ward. 
Lie  was  well  acquainted  with  both  A.braham 
Lincoln  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas  while  a 
resident  of  Sangamon  county.  Mr.  Doyle 
is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Illi- 
nois. When  he  first  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, there  was  no  railroad  there  and  the 
work  of  progress  and  improvement  in  this 
portion  of  the  country  was  still  in  its  primi- 


tive stage.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
public  advancement  along  agricultural  lines 
and  while  winning  a  splendid  success  for 
himself  his  eflforts  have  been  also  of  value 
in  promoting  the  general  welfare.  Strictly 
honorable  in  all  his  dealings  he  has  won  his 
prosperity  by  methods  that  will  bear  the 
closest  investigation  and  scrutiny. 


JAMES  H.  DOWNS. 

No  history  of  Christian  county  or  this 
portion  of  the  state  would  be  complete  with- 
out mention  of  James  H.  Downs,  for  many 
years  a  leading  agriculturist  and  now  living 
a  retired  life.  He  was  identified  with  the 
state  in  pioneer  times,  shared  in  the  hard- 
shi])s  and  privations  incident  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  home  upon  the  frontier,  and 
to-day,  having  gained  prosperity  through 
well  directed  and  honorable  effort,  he  is 
enjoying  the  well  earned  rest  from  further 
labor  and  owns  and  occupies  the  most  beau- 
tiful home  in  Assumption — a  residence 
which  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city. 

Mr.  Downs  was  born  in  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1837.  His  father 
Elections  Downs,  was  born  in  Virginia,  Oc- 
tober 13,  1803,  and  soon  afterward  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Maryland  and  later  to  Ohio. 
The  grandfather  died  at  the  home  of  his  son 
Elections  in  Ridge  township,  Shelby  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  The  latter  resided  successively 
in  the  different  states  mentioned  and  became 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Shelby  county. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Stiffler,  who  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Maryland,  Oc- 
tober 26,  1800.  Her  mother,  who  bore  the 
same  name,  lived  to  the  very  advanced  age 
of  one  hundred  and  four  years.  After  their 
marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Downs  resided  for 
a  time  in  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  and  then 
removed  to  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  where 


254 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


they  resided  until  1S43,  when  they  settled 
in  Ridge  township.  Shelln-  cnunly,  Illinois. 
For  many  years  the  father  carried  on  farm- 
ing there  rnid  assisted  in  the  ])ioncer  de- 
velopment of  the  locality.  He  died  August 
18,  1873,  and  his  wife  passed  awa\'  July  29, 
1881. 

Our  subject  was  the  seventh  in  order  of 
birth  in  their  family  of  eight  children  and 
was  eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the 
removal  of  the  family  to  Illinois.  He  was 
educated  in  a  subscription  school,  held  in  a 
little  log  Iniilding.  attending  for  about  three 
months  in  the  cold  season  of  the  year,  wdiile 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year  he 
worked  on  the  home  farm.  The  country 
w  ;is  all  w  ild  and  his  father  entered  his  first 
land,  a  (juarter  section,  at  a  dollar  and  a  quar- 
ter per  acre.  He  had  to  go  fifty  miles  to 
Springfield  to  mill  and  dro\e  his  hogs  to 
the  St.  Louis  market,  it  being  necessary  to 
take  some  teams  in  order  to  haul  feed  for 
the  hogs.  Often  on  these  trips  they  had  to 
camp  out  in  the  snow  at  nights.  Mr.  Downs 
has  used  a  wooden  moldboard  plow  and 
reap-hook  when  working  in  the  fields  hi  an 
early  day.  The  family  raised  their  owm 
flax,  made  their  own  thi-ead.  sheared  their 
sheep  and  carded  and  sj)un  the  wool  and 
wove  the  clotli  from  which  the  dresses  of 
the  girls  were  made.  Game  of  various  kinds 
was  plentiful  and  Mr.  Dcnvns  has  .seen  as 
high  as  twenty-four  head  of  deer  at  a  single 
time.  He  has  killed  two  wild  geese  with 
a  single  shot  and  has  also  brought  dow-n 
prairie  chickens  in  the  same  way.  There 
were  al.so  many  wolves  on  the  prairies.  The 
home  farm  which  his  father  secured  is  still 
in  possession  of  our  subject,  also  the  land 
which  was  entered  by  his  wife's  father  in 
1840.  Besides  these  tracts  he  owns  an  in- 
terest in  tw-Q  coal  shafts  in  Christian  county, 
twenty  lots  in  the  city  of  Decatur,  and  prop- 


erty- in  Ridge  and  hlat  Uranch  townships, 
Shelby  county,  together  with  one  thousand 
acres  on  the  Mississijijji  ri\er,  his  holdings 
aggregating  twelve  hundred  and  thirty  acres 
in  Shelby  and  Christian  counties,  exclusive 
of  his  properly  interests  ni  the  south. 

Mr.  Downs  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Jane  Oiler,  a  daughter  of  Wdliam  and 
Eliza  (Johnson)  Oiler.  The  father  was  born 
in  \'irginia.  Mav  3,  1818,  and  the  mother 
in  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania,  September 
22,  182 1.  In  1840  he  settled  in  Shelby  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  entered  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land  at  a  dollar  and  a  f|uarter  per 
.acre,  adjoining  the  tract  on  which  the  Downs 
family  settled.  He,  too,  underwent  all  the 
experiences  of  life  in  a  frontier  chstrict.  He 
plowed  his  land  for  his  first  crop  of  corn 
with  but  a  single  ox.  but  the  fields  yielded 
fruitfully  as  he  harvested  from  sixty  to  sev- 
enty bushels  to  the  acre.  He  checl  July  31, 
1874,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  Shelby- 
ville.  Illinois,  April  6,  1899.  In  the  family 
were  eight  children,  six  of  whom  reached 
adult  life,  while  five  are  still  living.  Henry, 
the  eldest,  died  May  18,  1903.  Eunice  died 
in  early  girlhood.  Mrs.  Downs  is  the  next 
younger.  iMargaret  is  the  wife  of  John  N. 
Warner,  of  Illinois.  Olive  F.  is  living  in 
Fort  Worth.  Texas.  Mrs.  Downs  pursued 
her  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  seated 
with  slal)  benches,  and  she,  too,  became  fa- 
miliar with  pioneer  conditions  and  experi- 
ences such  as  came  to  the  Downs  family. 

Unto  yir.  and  Mrs.  Dow  ns  were  born  four 
children  :  Jennie,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  P 
Rocky,  of  Assumption,  by  whom  she  has 
one  daughter,  Stella,  born  on  the  iStli  of 
May,  1886  :  William  E.,  who  died  in  infancy  ; 
Dora  A.,  the  wife  of  John  J.  Smith,  of  Ridge 
township.  Shelby  county,  and  the  mother  of 
three  children — Ruth.  Daniel,  named  for  his 
grandfather,  and  fohn  I.,  for  his  father;  and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


255 


Ora  B..  now  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Ridgely,  of 
Taylorville. 

While    residing-    in     Shel1)y    county    Mr. 
Downs    served    for    six    years   as    township 
trustee  and  was  always  actively  interested  in 
measures  for  the  puhlic  good  although  his 
attention  was  chiefly  directed  to  his  farming 
pursuits.     He  always  had  his  pastures  filled 
with  a  good  grade  of  stock,  and  he  developed 
one  of  the  finest   farms  of  his  part  of  the 
state.      He   built    thereon   a    splendid   brick 
residence  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars — 
one  of  the  most  magiiificent  country  homes 
in  Shelby  county.    At  length,  however,  wish- 
ing to  spend  his  remaining  days  in  retire- 
ment from  labor,  he  removed  to  Assumption, 
where  he  built  a  modern  home.     It  might 
well  be  termed   a   palatial   residence.      The 
house,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  large  veran- 
da, is  the  finest  in  Assumption.    It  is  finished 
throughout  in  hard  wood,  is  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity and  lias  all  the  modern  improvements 
of  the  oiost  advanced  home  of  the  city.   The 
plans  were  drawn  l)y  his  daughter  and  sub- 
mitted ,to  an  architect  and  builder  of  De- 
catur.     The    interior   decorations   are   most 
tasteful,    including    everything   that    wealth 
can  secure  and  refined  taste  suggest,  and  the 
walls  of  the  house  are  adorned  with  many 
beautiful  paintings  which  are  the  work  of 
his  daughter.      Concrete  walks   are  around 
the  house  and  the  lawn  is  splendidly  kept 
and  adorned    with    Ijeautiful     flowers    and 
trees.    Such  a  home  does  Mr.  Downs  and  his 
estimable  wife  well  deserve,  for  he  has  led 
a  very  active  life,  characterized  by  integrity 
and  straightforward  dealing,  and  she,   too, 
has  borne  her  part  in  managing  the  house- 
hold affairs. 


1 6.  He  was  born  in  this  township  in  1855, 
a  son  of  John  Ruby,  who  came  to  Christian 
county  in  the  spring  of  185 1.  He  removed 
to  Ohio  from  Pennsylvania  eleven  years 
])rior  to  that  time  and  located  near  Spring- 
field, that  state,  wdience  he  came  to  the  farm 
on  which  his  son  Edwin  nof  resides  in  Chris- 
tian county,  Illinois.  His  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Leah  Klindfelder  and  she, 
too,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  In  his 
farming  operations  Mr.  Ruby  was  very  suc- 
cessful and  was  the  owner  of  the  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  of  rich 
land  upon  which  Edwin  Ruby  now  resides. 
He  used  frequently  to  tell  tales  of  how  wild 
the  country  was  when  he  first  entered  it,  also 
f  its   swampy  condition,   for  the  work   of 


o 


EDWIN  RUBY. 
Edwin  Rul)y  is  a  resident  farmer  of  Tay- 
lorville township,  his  home  being  on  section 


cultivation    and   improvement    had   scarcely 
been   begun.      There  were  many  wild   deer 
tO'  be  seen  on  the  prairies  and  wild  game  of 
various  kind  was  to  be  had  in  abundance. 
It  was  the  work  of  such  enterprising  and  dili- 
gent early  settlers  as  Mr.  Ruliy  that  led  to 
the   present  prosperous  and   improved   con- 
dition of  the  county  as  we  find  it  to-day. 
In  the  family  three  sons  who  served  in  the 
L^nion  Army  gave  tlieir  lives  for  the  Union 
cause.      Henry  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga;  Washington,  after  being  in- 
carcerated    in     Andersonville     prison     for 
eighteen    months,   was  paroled   and   started 
home,   but  ere  reaching  his  destination   he 
liecame  ill  and  died  and  his  family  have  yet 
been  unable  to  discover  where  he  was  buried ; 
Levi  while  serving  in  the  Union  cause,  be- 
came ill   and   died  at   Eranklin,   Tennessee. 
There  are  also  four  living  sons  of  this  fam- 
ily:     Edwin.  J.  W.,  Albert  and  Zachariah. 
In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Ed- 
win Ruby  we  present  to  our  readers  the  life 
record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  Christian  county  for  he  has  always 
lived  within  its  borders.     He  was  reared  to 


25<; 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


farm  work,  no  event  of  special  importance 
occurring  to  vary  the  routine  of  that  Hfc 
for  him  in  his  l)oyhoo(l  days.  In  December, 
1878,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amanda  ilill.  a  native  of  Bloomficid,  Davis 
county,  Iowa.  Her  parents  were  at  one 
time  residents  of  Gallia  county,  Ohio,  living 
near  Rodney,  whence  they  emigrated  west- 
ward about  1843  ''^"<^  ^'<^s^  '1^  their  lot  with 
the  early  settlers  of  Iowa.  In  1874-  they  re- 
moved from  that  state  to  Kansas.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  and  brick  maker  and  by  fol- 
lowing these  pursuits  provided  for  his  fam- 
ily. Unto  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Ruby  have  been 
born  four  children  who  are  yet  living,  wdiile 
two  have  passed  away.  Those  who  still  sur- 
vive are  Orvil,  who  has  spent  three  years 
as  a  student  in  the  liigh  school  of  Taylor- 
ville ;  Effie,  at  home ;  and  Elmer  and  Ela- 
nora,  who  are  in  school. 

The  parents  hold  membership  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  contribute  liberally 
to  its  support  and  take  an  active  and  help- 
ful interest  in  its  work.  Theirs  is  a  most 
congenial  marriage  relation  and  their  home 
is  largely  an  ideal  one.  The  interest  of  both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruby  centers  there  and  it 
seems  that  neither  can  do  too  much  to  en- 
hance the  personal  welfare  and  happiness  of 
the  other.  Politicaly  Mr.  Ruby  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  keeping  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day  is  thus  enabled 
to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argu- 
ment. He  has  served  as  a  school  director 
since  1897  and  the  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  belongs  to  the 
Anti-Horse  Thief  Association,  to  the  Fra- 
ternal Army,  to  the  Court  of  Honor  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a 
man  of  strong  purpose,  fearless  in  advocacy 
of  his  honest  convictions,  active  and  straight- 
forward in  business  and  loyal  in  citizenship. 


-      W.  T.   BRIDGES,  M.  D. 

In  the  ranks  of  the  professional  men  in 
Christian  county  stands  \V.  T.  Bridges,  who 
occupies  a  foremost  place  as  a  representa- 
tive of  the  medical  fraternity.  He  has  al- 
ways kept  a1)reast  with  the  times,  having  a 
zealous  and  acti\"e  interest  in  his  profession 
and  as  the  years  have  advanced  he  has  con- 
stantly increased  his  efficiency  through  read- 
ing, investigation  and  experience.  He  w'as 
born  March  21,  i860,  in  Fayette  county,  Il- 
linois, a  son  of  James  and  Sarah  Jane  (Stur- 
geon) Bridges.  The  father  was  born  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  in  1850  came  to 
Illinois.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  tor  many  years  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  Ram- 
sey, Illinois, 

Upon  the  home  farm  Dr.  Bridges  was 
reared  and  his  early  education  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools  of  Fayette  county.  He 
afterward  became  a  student  in  the  State 
Normal  School  of  Indiana  at  Valparaiso, 
and  subsequently  he  began  teaching  in  Fay- 
ette county,  following  that  profession  for 
al)out  four  years,  a  part  of  which  time  was 
spent  in  Montgomery  county.  Deciding, 
however,  to  make  the  practice  of  medicine 
his  life  work,  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr. 
W.  P.  Gordon,  of  Carlisle,  Illinois,  who 
directed  his  reading  for  three  months,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  he  was  taken  ill  with 
typhoid  fever.  He  afterward  continued  his 
studies  with  Dr.  Gordon  for  a  year  and  in 
1885  entered  the  Missouri  Medical  College 
at  St.  Louis  and  completing  the  regular 
course  there  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1888. 

Dr.  Bridges  began  practicing  in  Walnut 
Hill,  Illinois,  and  subsequently  removed  to 
Aviston,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for 
fourteen  months.  He  next  established  his 
home  in  Illiopolis,  this  state,  where  he  re- 


DR.  W.  T.   BRIDGES 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


259 


niaiiicd  for  live  years  and  then,  seeking  a 
l)roader  field  of  labor,  he  came  to  Stoning- 
ton,  where  he  arrived  rni  the  17th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1894.  During  tlie  nine  years  of  his 
residence  in  this  place  he  has  won  the  public 
confidence  for  liis  skill  and  ability  and  also 
by  reason  of  his  fidelity  to  the  ethics  of  the 
])rofession. 

On  the    I  St  of  May,    1891,   Dr.  Bridges 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mammie  P. 
Constant,   a   daughter  of   J.    W.    Constant, 
aufl   a   native  of   Illiopolis,    Illinois.      They 
held  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and 
the  Doctor  became  a  charter  member  of  the 
church  in  Stonington.  in  which  he  is  yet  act- 
ively interested,  serving  as  one  of  its  dea- 
cons, while  in  the  Sunday  school  he  acts  as 
a   teacher.      His   political    support   is   given 
to  the  Democracy  and  he  has  served  as  town 
clerk  for  one  term.     Socially  he  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  with 
the  Court  of  Honor,   the  Fraternal   Army 
and  the  Royal  Circle.     Matters  pertaining 
to    the    public    progress    and    improvement 
elicit    liis    attention    and    many    times    re- 
cei\e  his  hearty  co-operation.     The  Doctor 
owns  the  independent  telephone  system  of 
Stonington  which  now  operates  one  hundred 
and  thirty  phones.     He  is  progressive  in  all 
life's  relations  and  no  more  so  than  in  his 
l)rofession,  in  which  he  has  made  continual 
improvement  and  advancement.     He  is  now 
a  memljer  oi  the  County  Medical  Society. 
is  serxing  as  its  secretarv  and  treasurer,  and 
was    tlie   original   organizer.      He   also    be- 
longs to  the  Decatur  Medical   Society  and 
the  District  Medical  Society,  which  holds  its 
meeting  in  Pana,  Illinois.     He  likewise  is  a 
member  of  the   State  Medical  Association 
and  the  American  Medical  Association  and 
he   keeps   thoroughly   informed    concerning 
any  ideas  advanced  by  the  profession,  read- 
ily adopting  such  as  he  believes  will  prove 
15 


of  material  benefit  in  his  work  of  alleviating 
human  suffering.  The  Doctor  is  examiner 
for  the  Court  of  Honor,  the  Royal  Circle; 
Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal  Workmen,  the 
New  York  Life  Insurance  Company,  Frank- 
lin Life  Insurance  Company  of  Springfield, 
and  Aetna  Life  Insurance  Company.  New 
York. 


LOUIS  SCHLIERBACH. 

Louis  Schlierbach  was  a  young  man  of 
but  eighteen  years  when  he  came  from  his 
native  country,  Germany,  to  America  de- 
pendent upon  his  own  resources.  From  that 
time  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward cuid  is  now  one  of  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  Pana,  as  well  as  one  of  its  most 
highly  esteemed  and  respected  citizens.  He 
was  born  September  4,  1831,  in  Germany, 
his  parents  being  Louis  and  Sophia  Schlier- 
bach. His  father,  a  native  of  Germany, 
came  to  the  United  States  in  the  year  1855 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  Madison  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  ten  months. 
He  then  came  to  Pana  in  1856  and  was  one 
of  its  earliest  settlers.  He  afterward  worked 
in  a  liarness  shop  with  his  son  and  his  last 
days  were  spent  in  this  city. 

Louis  Schlierbach  acquired  his  education 
in  schools  of  the  fatherland  and  there  learned 
the  harness-making  trade,  which  he  followed 
in  connection  with  his  father  until  1849.  Re- 
lieving that  he  might  have  better  opportu- 
nities in  the  new  world,  he  then  made  ar- 
rangements to  cross  the  Atlantic  to  America. 
Taking  passage  on  a  westward  bound  sailing 
vessel  he  landed  at  New  York,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  until  1856.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Pana  and  opened  a  harness 
shop,  in  which  he  w^as  joined  by  his  father. 
The  business  has  since  been  carried  on  with- 
out interruption  and  Mr.  Schlierbach  is  one 


260 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


of  the  leading  harness  dealers  in  this  county. 
In  iSrx)  lie  built  a  brick  building,  which  lie 
now  occupies,  lie  carries  a  complete  line 
of  harness  and  saddlery  and  seven  years  ago 
he  added  to  his  stock  a  line  of  buggies,  wag- 
ons and  farm  implements.  His  trade  is 
now  (|uite  extensive  and  his  business  there- 
fore yields  him  a  good  remuneration.  He 
has  won  his  prosperity  through  honorable 
methods,  careful  management  and  judicious 
purchases  and  there  is  much  that  is  com- 
mendal)le  in  his  business  career. 

In  1858  Mr.  Schlierbach  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Louise  Bucksenschutz,  and 
after  her  death  he  wedded  her  sister.  Minnie, 
the  latter  marriage  being  celebrated  in  i860. 
There  are  four  children  of  this  union  :  Theo- 
dore, who  is  now  living  in  Chicago ;  Louise, 
who  is  married  and  resides  in  Minneapolis; 
Henrietta,  who  is  married  and  is  living  in 
Pana;  and  Fred,  who  makes  his  home  in 
Springfield. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schlierbach  belonged  to  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  fraternity_  and  with 
tlie  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Pana.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a 
Republican,  having  supported  the  party  con- 
tinuously since  its  organization.  He  is  one 
of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Pana,  there  being 
nothing  but  a  railroad  crossing  when  he 
located  here.  He  had  to  build  a  house  to 
live  in  because  there  was  none  that  could 
be  rented.  In  fact,  there  was  only  one  house 
in  the  town  and  grain  was  growing  where 
beautiful  homes  and  substantial  business 
blocks  are  now  standing.  Mr.  Schlierbach 
has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing which  he  believed  to  be  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  town.  He  had  only  one  dollar 
and  a  half  when  he  landed  in  New  York  and 
therefore  all  that  he  possesses  has  been  ac- 
quired entirely  through  his  ow^i  efforts.    He 


has  earned  for  himself  an  enviable  reputa-  ^ 
tion  as  a  careful  man  of  Imsiness  and  in  his 
dealings  is  known  for  his  prompt  and  honor- 
able methods  which  have  won  him  the  de- 
served and  unqualilied  confidence  of  his  fel- 
low men. 


E.   A.   HIGGINBOTHAM. 

Over  twenty  years  have  passed  since  E. 
A.  Higginbotham  became  a  factor  in  mer- 
cantile circles  in  Clarksdale,  where  he  be- 
uan  business  on  a  small  scale  as  a  grocer. 
Fie  has  steadily  increased  his  stock  to  meet 
the  growing  demands  of  his  trade  and  now 
has  a  store  which  would  do  credit  to  a  place 
of  much  greater  size.  His  business  reputa- 
tion, too,  is  unassailable,  for  his  enterprise 
and  honorable  methods  have  commended 
him  to  all. 

Mr.  Higginbotham  was  born  in  Christian 
county,  Kentucky,  December  24,  1861,  a  son      * 
of  Aaron   and   Martha    (Gladish)    Higgin- 
I'otham.     His  father,  wdio  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  died  in  February,  1873,  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  in  1863  when  our 
subject   was  only  two   years  old.     On  the 
9th  of  Fel)ruary,  1877,  he  came  to  Christian 
county,   Illinois,   and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated   in    Taylorville.   pursuing   his    studies 
in  the  east  ward  school.     At  the  age  of  six- 
teen years  he  began  earning  his  own  living, 
by  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month 
and  in  this  way  gained  a  start  in  life.     Hav- 
ing saved  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  he 
embarked  in  the  grocery  business  at  his  pres- 
ent   location    in    Clarksdale   on   the    7th   of 
March,  1883,  though  the  old  store  building 
has  been  replaced  by  a  nice  modern  structure, 
sixty  by  twenty-four  feet  and   two  stories 
in  height  with  a  basement.     This  w^as  built 
in  April,   1903,  and  is  stocked  with  a  good 
line  of  general  merchandise.     He  carries  ev- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


2G1 


erything  usually  found  in  a  general  store, 
including  hardware,  and  also  conducts  a 
meat  market.  Prosperity  has  attended  his 
well  directed  efforts  and  besides  the  store 
building  which  he  himself  occupies,  he  owns 
the  adjoining  store  and  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Larkin  &  Higginbotham  has  eight 
lots  in  the  northern  part  of  the  village,  three 
residences  and  an  acre  of  land  just  at  the 
edge  of  town. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  1884,  Mr.  Higgin- 
botham married  Miss  Minnie  L.  Clark,  a 
daughter  of  Lee  A.  Clark,  one  of  Christian 
county's  most  distinguished  citizens.  He 
served  as  county  judge  for  some  years  and 
filled  nearly  all  of  the  other  county  offices. 
He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  was  passed  in  this  state, 
where  he  died  in  1867.  His  widow  is  still 
a  resident  of  Taylorville.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Higginbotham  have  eight  children,  namely : 
Ida  P.;  Jessie  M. ;  Eddie  Lee;  Edna  A.; 
Rachel  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months  and  twenty-four  days;  Byron  and 
Laura,  twins ;  and  Hulda  H. 

Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higginbotham 
favor  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
socially  he  belongs  to  Mound  Lodge,  No. 
122,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Taylorville,  and 
also  to  the  Fraternal  Army  of  America  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Po- 
litically he  is  identified  with  the  Democratic 
party.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  educa- 
tional affairs,  having  served  six  years  as 
school  treasurer,  and  is  now  one  of  the  school 
directors.  His  time,  however,  is  principally 
devoted  to  his  business  interests  and  it  is 
through  his  own  industry  and  perseverance 
that  he  has  succeeded  in  life  for  he  had  no 
capital  with  which  to  aid  him  when  he  be- 
gan his  business  career  and  the  success  that 
has  attended  his  efforts  is  certainly  justly 
merited. 


A.  P.  ROCKEY,  M.  D. 

Dr.  A.  P.  Rockey,  who,  since  1886,  has 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Assumption  and  is  making  a  specialty  of 
surgery,  is  so  well  qualified  in  his  chosen 
calling  that  he  has  long  since  left  the  ranks 
of  the  many  to  stand  among  the  successful 
few,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  leading  phy- 
sicians of  Christian  county.  He  realizes  that 
the  profession  is  continually  advancing  and 
close  study  and  thorough  research  have  en- 
abled him  to  keep  abreast  with  the  onward 
march. 

Dr.  Rockey  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Fair- 
field county,  Ohio,  a  son  of  L.  L.  and  Sophia 
Rockey,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  were  representatives  of  pioneer  families 
of  that  state.      In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  the  Doctor  is  the  eldest. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  continued  his  education  in  Dela- 
ware and  Pleasantville,  Ohio,  and  also  pur- 
sued a  commercial  course  in  Eastman's  Busi- 
ness College,  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 
A  thorough  preliminary  training  well  pre- 
pared him  to  take  up  the  preparation  which 
would  fit  him  for  professional  life  as  a  prac- 
titioner of  medicine  and   surgery.      He  at- 
tended his  first  course  of  lectures  in  the  Co- 
lumbus Medical  College,  and  afterward  en- 
tered the  Ohio  Medical  College,  at  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  completed  his  studies  by  grad- 
uation.     He   entered    upon   the   practice   in 
Hinton,    Shelby   county,    Illinois,    April    3, 
1876,  and   in    1886    came    to  Assumption, 
wdiere  he  has  since  remained,  being  now  the 
senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Rockey  &  Crow. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  County,  District  and 
State  Medical  Societies  and  through  the  in- 
terchange of  ideas  and  experience  m  those 
meetings  he  adds  to  his  knowledge  as  well 
as   through   extensive  private   reading   and 


262 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


study.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  surgery  and 
is  most  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  human  Ijody,  their  uses 
and  the  onslaughts  made  upon  them  by  dis- 
ease. In  his  practice  his  labors  have  largely 
been  attended  with  success  and  he  is  there- 
fore accorded  a  very  liberal  patronage.  He 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health  of  Assumption. 

On  the  22d  of  November,  1879,  Dr.  Rock- 
ey  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie 
Downs,  the  eldest  of  the  three  children  of 
James  H.  Downs,  a  capitalist  of  Assumption 
and  one  of  the  most  influential  and  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  county.  Unto  Dr. 
Rockey  and  his  wife  has  been  born  a  daugh- 
ter, Estella  D.  Rockey,  who  is  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school  of  Assumption  and  is  now 
pursuing  a  classical  course  and  also  a  musical 
course  in  Indianapolis.  The  Doctor  and  his 
wife  have  a  pleasant  and  hospitable  home 
in  Assumption  and  the  circle  of  their  friends 
is  continually  growing  as  the  circle  of  their 
acquaintance  widens.  While  interested  in 
all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  town. 
Dr.  Rockey  takes  little  active  part  in  public 
affairs  as  the  duties  of  his  profession  make 
constant  demand  upon  his  time.  He  and 
his  partner  now  have  a  splendidly  equipped 
office  over  the  First  National  Bank  of  As- 
sumption— large  and  well  furnished  rooms, 
equipped  with  all  the  latest  devices  for  sur- 
gery in  its  various  branches.  There  is  also 
an  X-ray  machine  and  the  members  of  the 
firm  are  able  to  care  for  the  most  intricate 
surgical  cases  as  well  as  those  which  de- 
mand the  services  of  the  general  medical 
practitioner. 

THOMAS    SIMPSON. 

Thomas  Simpson,  now  deceased,  was  for 
many  years  an  honored  and  highly  esteemed 
citizen    of   Rosamond    township,    his   home 


being  on  section  24,  where  his  widow  still 
resides.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in 
Harrison  county,  November  9,  1833,  and 
was  a  son  of  Mathew  and  Susan  (Orr) 
Simpson  and  a  grandson  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet Simpson.  Both  his  father  and  grand- 
father followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
In  the  family  of  the  latter  were  four  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  two  sons  and 
three  daughters  ma.rried  and  reared  families 
of  their  own. 

Thomas  Simpson  was  only  five  years  of 
age  when,  in  1838,  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  there  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
was  educated.  During  the  '60s  he  made  a 
trip  to  California  and  after  spending  two 
years  on  the  Pacific  slope  again  took  up  his 
residence  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  until  December,  1868, 
— the  date  of  his  arri\al  in  Christian  county. 
He  first  located  four  miles  north  and  west 
of  the  village  of  Rosemond  in  Rosamond 
township,  where  he  and  his  wife  began  to 
acquire  a  competence.  Upon  that  farm  he 
continued  to  live  until  1885,  when  he  sold 
it  and  removed  to  the  place  on  section  24. 
the  same  township,  at  the  edge  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Rosemond,  now  occupied  by  Mifs. 
Simpson.  This  is  a  well  improved  farm 
v\ith  a  neat  modern  residence  well  furnished 
and  beautiful  evergreens  adorn  the  lawn. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1868,  in  Pike  ccjunty. 
Mr.  Simpson  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Pine,  who  was  born  in  that 
county,  October  8,  1839,  and  was  there 
reared  and  educated.  Her  parents  were 
William  and  Nancy  (Tedrow)  Pine,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Pine  died  July 
25,  1878,  and  his  wife  passed  away  on  the 
6th  of  March,  1862.  In  their  family  were 
thirteen  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 


THOMAS  SIMPSON 


MRS.   E.   P.  SIMPSON 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


267 


fancy,  ^vhile  the  others  reached  maturity. 
Three  of  the  five  danghters  still  living  are 
residents  of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  but  the 
sons  are  widely  scattered,  one  he'mg  a  resi- 
dent of  Nebraska,  another  of  Kansas  and 
the  third  of  Missouri. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  were  born 
five  children,  as  follows:  Sylva  M.,  the  eld- 
est, died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months.  Ella 
M.  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Anderson,  of 
Rosemond,  and  they  have  four  children : 
Lela  E.,  Vera  E.,  Harold  E.  and  J.  Everett. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  F.  E.  McKee,  who  now^ 
operates  the  home  farm,  and  they  have  four 
children  :  Clyde,  Paul,  Etiiel  and  Florence. 
Eva  died  at  the  age  of  four  years  Orpha 
Grace  is  at  home  \vith  her  mother.  The 
children  were  all  given  good  educational  ad- 
vantages and  the  family  is  one  of  promin- 
ence in  the  community  where  they  reside. 

b^or  over  twenty-two  years  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Simpson  traveled  life's  journey  happily  to- 
gether but  at  length  the  husband  was  called 
to  the  better  world,  dying  April  12,  1890.  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years  five  months  and 
three  days.  As  a  public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising citizen  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  upbuilding  and  development  of  his 
adopted  county  and  never  withheld  his  sup- 
port from  any  measure  which  he  believed 
would  i)ro\'e  of  public  benefit.  He  filled  the 
oftice  of  school  director  a  short  time  and 
was  township  school  trustee  for  a  number 
of  years.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Republican 
in  politics  Init  being  a  strong  temperance 
man  he  became  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
Prohibition  party  and  its  principles.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars  So- 
ciety and  by  his  honorable  and  upright  life 
he  gained  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of 
all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact 
either  in  business  or  social  affairs.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen   years   Mrs.   Simpson   united 


with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of 
which  she  has  since  been  a  loyal  and  devoted 
member  and  it  was  largely  through  her  in- 
fluence that  her  husband  was  brought  to 
Christ.  She  is  prominently  identified  with 
the  missionary  work  of  the  church  and  does 
all  in  her  power  for  the  uplifting  of  her 
fellow-men.  She  has  divided  the  property 
left  by  her  husband  equally  among  her  chil- 
dren and  in  the  midst  of  her  family  and 
many  friends  she  is  spending  her  declining- 
days  in  ease  and  comfort.  Her  cozy  farm 
residence  is  on  the  hill  just  east  of  the  church 
which  she  attends  and  of  which  she  is  such 
an  active  worker. 

As  a  fitting  triliute  to  the  memorv  of  Mr. 
Simpson  we  quote  the  following  from  the 
Budget,  now  the  Raylis  Guide,  of  Baylis, 
Pike  county :  "On  Sunday  morning,  April 
6,  1890,  he  was  holding  a  colt  for  his 
nephew,  Alex  Hillman,  to  ride.  The  colt 
reared  and  striking  him  about  the  heart 
knocked  him  down  and  stepped  on  his  stom- 
ach and  bowels  with  both  feet,  injuring  him 
internally.  He  lived  until  the  following 
Saturday  morning  when  death  came  to  his 
relief,  louring  his  week  of  illness  he  ar- 
ranged all  his  business  matters  and  made 
all  the  necessary  arrangements  in  regard  to 
his  funeral.  Ab.ove  all  he  sought  for  and 
found  peace  with  God,  leaving  a  bright  testi- 
mony behind  him.  He  chose  for  the  text 
for  his  funeral  discourse  Psalm  XXIII, 
verse  4,  'Yea  though  I  walk,'  etc.  He  de- 
sired the  pallbearers  to  wear  badges  express- 
ing their  determination  to  meet  him  in 
Heaven.  The  only  thing  that  he  desired  to 
live  for  was  that  he  might  do  something  for 
Christ  in  the  way  of  exhorting  the  young 
people  nil  around  him  to  not  live  as  he  had 
done,  but  to  consecrate  themselves  in  youth 
to  God  and  His  cause.  He  said  to  his  wife : 
'Why  do  you  weep,  I  think  you  ought  rather 


208 


Py\ST  AND  l^RESENT 


to  rcjcMce  that  niv  name  is  written  in 
Heaven  and  that  I  am  now  walkini:!^  in  the 
channel  where  yon  always  wanted  me  to 
walk.'  He  said  he  never  knew  hefore  how 
easy  it  was  to  trust  in  Jesns  when  he  ha\-e 
made  a  full  surrender  to  Him  of  all  we  have 
and  are.  Ahout  two  hours  hef(>re  his  death 
he  had  his  wife  pass  hread  around  to  all 
who  were  present  so  that  he  could  ask  a 
hlessing"  the  way  his  wife  had  always  wanted 
him  to  do.  He  said  he  always  felt  it  his 
duty  to  return  thanks  at  the  tahle  hut  never 
had  the  stamina  to  do  so.  The  funeral  serv- 
ices were  held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Rosemond  on  Monday  after- 
noon, 7\pril  14,  TcSoo.  and  the  immense 
throng  present  showed  the  high  regard  his 
neighhors  had  for  him,  over  seventy-five 
vehicles  following  the  remains  to  the  Rose- 
mond Grove  cemetery.  Elder  A.  T.  Orr,  of 
Mattoon.  delivered  the  discourse." 


JAMES  E.  SHARROCK. 

It  is  only  under  the  stimulus  of  opposition 
and  the  pressure  of  adversity  that  the  hest 
and  strongest  in  man  are  brought  out  and 
developed.  The  self-made  man  is  largely  a 
product  of  the  new  world  and  America  has 
every  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  sons  wdio 
have  through  inherent  force  of  character  and 
indefatigal>le  industry  overcome  obstacles 
and  wrested  fortune  from  the  hand  of  fate. 
Mr.  Sharrock  is  one  deserving  of  much 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  for  with 
no  special  family  or  pecuniary  advantages  to 
aid  him  at  the  outset  of  his  career  he  has 
steadily  advanced  until  he  now  occupies  a 
prom.inent  position  among  the  leading  law- 
yers of  Taylorville. 

He  was  born  in  Towerhill,  Illinois,  May 
15,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Ruth 
(Lawton)  Sharrock.     The  father  was  a  na- 


tive of  Pennsylvania,  but  long  lived  in  Ohio 
and  in  1858  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  suc- 
cessfully followed  farming.  At  the  time  of 
the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Illi- 
nois Cavalry  under  Colonel  Jesse  Phillips, 
and  died  in  the  army  when  forty-five  years  of 
age.  It  is  there  that  his  remains  were  in- 
terred near  Paducah,  Kentucky.  His  widow 
afterward  married  again  and  died  in  1897, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  In  a  family 
of  five  children  the  subject  of  this  review 
is  the  youngest,  the  others  being  John  W., 
David  L.,  Anna  A.  and  George  A.  The 
sister  is  now  the  wife  of  D.  B.  Russell. 

James  E.  Sharrock  received  but  little  edu- 
cational privileges.  He  w^as  forced  to  leave 
school  when  twelve  years  of  age  in  order 
to  provide  for  his  own  support  and  he  fol- 
low'Cd  various  kinds  of  work.  He  was  em- 
ployed for  two  years  as  a  farm  hand  prior  to 
the  time  he  attained  the  age  of  eighteen 
years.  Many  hardships,  trials  and  privations 
fell  to  his  lot,  but  he  possessed  strong  de- 
termination and  resolved  that  he  would  win 
success  if  it  could  be  accomplished  through 
honorable  effort  and  persistent  purpose.  His 
tastes  lay  along  professional  lines  and,  wish- 
ing to  become  a  member  of  the  bar  he  be- 
gan reading  law  in  Shelbyville,  Illinois,  in 
the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Caleb 
R.  Torrence.  After  largely  mastering  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence  he  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1886  and  established  an  ofiice 
in  Cowden,  Illinois.  There  he  remained 
until  1893,  when  he  removed  to  Taylorville 
and  here  opened  an  office,  since  which  time 
he  has  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of 
law  in  this  city.  Eor  two  years  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  ex-Judge  Lyman  G.  Grundy  un- 
der the  firm  name  of  Sharrock  &  Grundy, 
but  the  relation  was  terminated  in  August, 
1903.  and  Mr.  Sharrock  has  since  been  alone 
in  practice.    He  is  known  as  one  of  the  most 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


269 


able  orators  in  this  part  of  the  state  and  in 
that  connection  his  services  are  continually 
in  demand.    At  the  bar  he  has  gained  a  dis- 
tinctively representative  clientage  and  now 
occupies  a  leading  position  as  a  member  of 
his  profession  in  Christian  county.    His  suc- 
cess came  soon  because  his  equipment  was 
unsually  good.     Along  with  those  qualities, 
indispensable  to  the  lawyer, — a  keen,  rapid, 
logical  mind  plus  the  business  sense,  and  a 
ready  capacity  for  hard  work, — he  brought 
gifts, — eloquence  of  language  and  a  strong 
personality.     An  excellent  presence,  an  earn- 
est,  dignified  manner,   marked  strength   of 
character,  a  thorough  grasp  of  the  law  and 
the  ability  to  accurately  apply  its  principles 
are  factors  in  Mr.   Sharrock's  effectiveness 
as  an  advocate. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.   Sharrock  is  a 
stalwart   Republican  and  an  active  worker 
in  the  interests  of  the  party.     His  fitness  for 
leadership  has  occasioned  his  election  to  po- 
sitions of  trust  and  responsibility.     He  was 
a  member  of  the  state  legislature  during  the 
sessions  of  the  thirty-ninth  and  fortieth  gen- 
eral assemblies  and  carried  his  county  which 
is  usually  Democratic  by  a  majority  of  seven 
hundred  and  sixty-four  votes,  a  fact  which 
indicates   his    personal    popularity    and    the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  men. 
He  placed  William  E.  Mason  in  nomination 
for  LTnited  States  senator,  seconded  the  nom- 
ination of  Edward  Curtis  for  speaker  of  the 
house   in  the  thirty-ninth   assembly  and   in 
the  thirty-eighth  assembly  seconded  the  nom- 
ination  of    Shelby   M.    Cullom    for   United 
States  senator.     He  also  made  the  presenta- 
tion speech  when  a  diamond  ring  was  pre- 
sented to  John  A.  Reeves,  the  reading  clerk 
of  the  house.     A  master  of  the  art  of  ora- 
tory, he  is  especially  happy  in  his  way  of  pre- 
senting any  subject  and  at  times  is  a  most 
forceful  and  logical  speaker,  while  on  other 


occasions  his  addresses  are  most  entertain- 
ing and  interesting.  At  all  times,  however, 
there  is  a  substratum  of  thought,  feeling  and 
strong  purpose  that  is  undeniable.  He  has 
held  minor  offices  and  is  now  the  city  at- 
torney of  Taylorville. 

Mr.  Sharrock  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Flora  A.  Christie,  of  Cowden,  Illinois.     Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  Cowden  Camp, 
Sons  of  Veterans,  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member  and  he  also  belongs   to  the   Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  Camp.     He  is  a  man  of  in- 
domitable will  and  firm  purpose  and  these 
have  been  salient  features  in  his  work.     He 
is,  however,  never  bitterly  aggressive  and  his 
deference  for  the  opinions  of  others  together 
with  his  genial  disposition  and  cordial  man- 
ner have  made  him  a  popular  citizen  of  Tay- 
lorville. 


W.  M.  STATTNER. 

W.  M.  Stattner,  a  well  known  blacksmith 
of  Millersville,  was  born  on  the  8th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1867,  in  Shelby ville,  Illinois,  and  is 
a  son  of  Charles  and  Lucy  Stattner.  The 
father  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  is  now 
livine-  a  retired  life  in  Millersville,  honored 
and  respected  l>y  all  who  know  him.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  1883. 

During  his  boyhood  W.  M.  Stattner  at- 
tended the  district  school  and  after  com- 
l)leting  his  education  commenced  learning 
the  blacksmith's  trade  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
serving  a  two  years'  apprenticeship.  Dur- 
ing the  following  two  years  he  worked  on 
a  farm  and  then  resumed  work  at  his  trade, 
being  employed  in  a  shop  in  Millersville  for 
two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  went 
to  Fremont,  Neliraska,  where  he  worked  in 
a  horse-shoeing  shop  for  three  years  and 
then  returned  to  Millersville  and  embarked 


270 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


in  blacksmithing  on  his  own  account  at  his 
present  location.  He  does  horse-shoeing  and 
general  repair  work  of  all  kinds  and  being 
an  expert  workman  and  a  good  reliable  busi- 
ness man  he  commands  a  fair  share  of  the 
public  patronage. 

In  1895  M^-  Stattner  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sadie  Corneil,  a  native  of 
Christian  county  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Cornell,  and  to  them  has  been  l>orn  one  son, 
Rodell.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  are  highly  respected 
and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them.  In 
politics  Mr.  Stattner  is  a  Democrat. 


DAVID    LACHARITE. 

Practical  industry,  wisely  and  vigorously 
applied,  never  fails  of  success;  it  carries  a 
man  onward  and  upward,  brings  out  his  in- 
dividual character  and  acts  as  a  powerful 
stimulus  to  the  efforts  of  others.  The  great- 
est results  in  life  are  usually  attained  by  sim- 
ple means  and  the  exercise  of  the  ordinary 
qualities  of  common  sense  and  perseverance. 
The  every-day  life,  with  its  cares,  necessities 
and  duties,  afifords  ample  opportunity  for 
acquiring  experience  of  the  best  kind  and 
its  most  beaten  paths  provide  a  true  worker 
with  abundant  scope  for  effort  and  for  self- 
improvement.  It  is  along  such  lines  that 
Mr.  Lacharite  has  won  a  place  prominent 
in  business  circles  in  Christian  county  and  is 
now  known  as  one  of  the  most  respected  and 
honored,  as  well  as  most  successful,  citizens 
of  Assumption.  He  is  there  engaged  in 
merchandising,  in  banking  and  in  the  opera- 
tion of  coal  fields,  and  the  extent  and  im- 
portance of  his  business  interests  make  him 
a  very  prosperous  man. 

Mr.  Lacharite  was  born  in  Maskinonge, 
Canada,  November  28,  1839,  of  humble 
parentage.     He    is    a    son    of    Henry    and 


Agatha  (Mason)  Lacharite,  who  were  born 
near  the  old  historic  city  of  Montrcnl  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
eight  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity, 
while  tv.o  died  in  infancy  and  one  in  later 
life.  David  Lacharite  is  the  eldest  and  in 
the  common  schools  of  Canada  he  obtained 
his  education.  After  leaving  school  he 
bee^an  clerking  for  an  uncle  and  after  two 
years  spent  in  the  mercantile  field,  h.c 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  two 
years.  In  1856  he  removed  to  Minnesota, 
where  he  followed  various  pursuits  and 
while  there  he  mastered  the  English  lan- 
guage, having  spoken  French  up  to  this 
time.  For  four  years  he  remained  in  Min- 
nesota and  from  i860  until  1863  was  in 
Louisiana. 

In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Assumption, 
where  h.e  followed  his  trade  as  a  journey- 
man carpenter,  being  thus  employed  for  a 
year.  He  then  engaged  in  contracting  until 
1869,  wdien  he  turnrd  his  attention  to  mer- 
chandising, in  which  he  has  since  engaged, 
meeting  wnth  splendid  success  and  adding 
to  the  general  prosperity  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  large  and  thriving  enterprise.  He 
first  entered  into  partnership  with  A.  Caza- 
let  and  the  firm  of  Cazalet  &  Lacharite  con- 
tinued until  1873,  when  our  subject  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest,  continuing 
alone  until  1877.  Joseph  Lambert  then 
bought  out  Mr.  Lacharite  and  became  an  as- 
sociate of  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Cazalet. 
The  store  was  thus  conducted  until  1880, 
when  the  firm  of  Lacharite  &  Lambert  be- 
came proprietors  and  have  since  conducted 
the  business.  They  carry  a  very  large  and 
carefully  selected  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise and  have  one  of  the  best  equipped  stores 
of  the  county.  The  firm  is  known  far  and 
near  for  its  honorable  Imsiness  dealing  and 
enjoys  a  large  patronage  which  is  constantly 


MR.  AND   MRS.   DAVID   LACHARITE 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


273 


increasing.  The  l)nikling  in  which  the  store 
is  located  is  well  constructed,  heing  built  of 
brick,  and  is  finely  lighted.  It  is  the  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  Lacharite,  who  may  well  be 
classed  among  the  substantial  citizens  of 
the  county.  Lie  is  the  president  of  the  Illi- 
nois State  Bank,  in  which  position  he  suc- 
ceeded B.  F.  Hight,  the  first  president  and 
oreanizer  of  the  institution.  He  maintains 
the  safe,  conservative  policy  which  was  in- 
augurated at  the  establishment  of  the  bank 
and  has  also  introduced  various  progressive 
methods  which  have  added  to  its  success. 
He  is  the  treasurer  and  one  of  the  large 
stockholders  of  the  Assumption  Coal  &  Min- 
ing Company  and  he  has  extensive  and  val- 
uable farming  interests,  including  his  resi- 
dence and  other  realty  and  several  farms  in 
Assumption  township. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1865,  Mr. 
Lacharite  was  married  in  Assumption  to 
Miss  Lenora  Lambert,  a  sister  of  his  part- 
ner in  the  mercantile  business.  She  came 
to  this  county  with  her  parents  when  but 
five  years  of  age  and  has  since  resided  here. 
Unto  this  marriage  have  been  born  seven 
children :  Mrs.  Mary  Fear,  who  is  now  a 
widow  and  has  two  children ;  Clara,  at 
home;  J.  A.,  who  is  assistant  cashier  in  the 
Illinois  State  Bank,  of  Assumption;  Henry 
B.,  who  in  October,  1903,  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  the  elevator  and  grain  business  at 
Assumption  and  is  now  devoting  his  ener- 
gies to  that  enterprise ;  Ella,  at  home ;  Her- 
man C,  who  married  Alta  Hight,  a  daugh- 
ter of  B.  F.  Hight,  nnd  wdio  recently  gradu- 
ated from  the  Chicago  Dental  College,  since 
which  time  he  has  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  the  Illinois  State  Bank 
Building;  and  Leah,  who  is  yet  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  family  are  all  members 
of  St.  Marv's  Catholic  church  of  Assiunp- 
tion. 


In  local  politics  .Mr.  Lacharite  has  taken 
an  active  part  and  has  been  elected  to  sev- 
eral ofiicial  positions.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Assump- 
tion township  and  of  the  county  board,  and 
was  the  president  of  the  former  for  a  num- 
ber of  terms.  For  ten  years  he  was  one  of 
the  county  commissioners  and  has  done 
more  than  any  one  man  to  secure  good  roads 
throughout  the  county.  He  is  a  stanch  Dem- 
ocrat Imt  places  the  welfare  of  the  county 
above  party  prejudice.  For  twenty  years 
he  has  been  school  treasurer  and  the  cause 
of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend. 
He  has  seen  Assumption  and  the  surround- 
ing country  grow  from  primitive  conditions, 
having  come  here  when  the  town  contained 
nothing  but  frame  buildings,  while  the 
country  was  full  of  sloughs  and  ponds  and 
much  of  the  prairie  w^as  still  uncultivated. 
His  business  interests  have  been  an  import- 
ant factor  in  the  development  of  this  part 
of  the  state,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has 
won  gratifying  success.  His  reputation  in 
business  circles  is  such  as  any  man  might  be 
proud  to  possess.  He  has  never  incurred  an 
obligation  that  he  has  not  met,  nor  made  an 
engagement  that  he  has  not  fulfilled,  and 
wherever  known  he  is  respected  and 
honored. 


W.  T.  SHORT,  M.  D. 

Although  one  of  the  younger  representa- 
tives of  the  medical  fraternity  in  Christian 
county  the  age  of  the  Doctor  does  not  seem 
a  bar  to  his  success  for  he  has  attained  a 
position  in  his  profession  that  many  an  older 
physician  might  well  envy.  He  was  born 
July  27,  1872,  in  Fillmore,  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  a  son  of  H.  S.  and 
Sarah  M.  Short.  His  father,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  took  up  the  study  of  medi- 


274 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cine  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  has  engaged 
in  practice  in  iMllniore,  Illinois,  for  thir- 
ty-five years.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent 
and  intUiential  residents  of  that  part  of  the 
state  and  has  a  practice  that  is  indicative  of 
the  unqnalihed  confidence  reposed  in  him 
hy  his  fellow  townsmen. 

Dr.  Short  spent  his  l)oyhood  days  in  his 
])arents'  home  and  ;it  the  nsual  age  hegan 
his  education  in  the  public  schools,  continu- 
ing his  studies  in  Fillmore  until  he  had 
mastered  the  branches  of  learning  usually 
taught  in  the  school  system  of  the  state. 
Resolving  to  follow  in  the  profesional  foot- 
steps of  his  father  he  began  reading  at  home 
and  soon  afterward  entered  the  Marion  Sims 
Medical  College,  in  which  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1897.  After  the  comple- 
tion of  his  course  he  returned  to  Fillmore 
and  for  a  time  practiced  with  his  father. 
Later  he  spent  three  years  in  Grove  City, 
Illinois,  and  has  now  been  located  in  Ston- 
ington  for  two  years.  His  business  is  stead- 
ilv  increasing  and  in  partnership  with  Dr. 
Coe  he  is  enjoying  a  good  patronage.  They 
have  a  well  equipped  office  and  the  calls 
made  for  their  professional  services  are  con- 
tinually growing  more  numerous — a  fact 
which  indicates  that  In  public  regard  Dr. 
Short  has  steadily  advanced,  winning  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  through 
marked  skill  and  ability  in  his  chosen  work. 

On  the  1 2th  of  December,  1900,  occurred 
the  marriage  of  Dr.  Short  and  Miss  Rena 
Neer,  a  native  of  Christian  county.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  an  interesting 
little  son,  Hiram  Coe,  Ijcmmi  on  the  23d  of 
December,  1901.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  an 
Odd  Fellow.  He  is  also  identified  with  a 
numlier  of  other  organizations  of  a  similar 
character  and  he  gives  his  political  allegiance 


to  the  Republican  party.  In  the  line  of  his 
])rofessi()n  he  is  connected  with  the  Chris- 
tian County,  the  Decatur,  the  Central  Illi- 
nois and  the  Illinois  State  Medical  Societies 
;ni(!  in  attending  these  jjodics  has  gained 
many  valuable  ideas  through  the  in.terchange 
of  opinions  and  experiences.  He  is  always 
deeply  interested  in  anything  that  tends  to 
solve  the  intricate  problem  which  continually 
faces  the  physician  and  in  his  ])ractice  read- 
ily adopts  any  innovation  that  he  feels  will 
])rove  of  practical  benefit  in  his  work  of  re- 
storing health. 


FRANK  W.  HOWELL. 

Frank  W.  Howell,  the  popular  proprietor 
of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  of  Pana,  was  born 
on  Buckeye  Prairie  in  this  county,  July  23, 
1874,  and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  a 
family  that  has  been  identified  with  the  up- 
building and  development  of  this  region  for 
almost  half  a  century.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Maria  J.  (Law)  Howell,  the  lat- 
ter a  daughter  of  James  and  Lucretia  (Stev- 
ens) Law\  who  were  natives  of  Ohio.  Our 
subject's  maternal  great-grandparents  were 
William  and  Lovina  (Harris)  Law,  who 
came  to  this  state  from  Ohio  and  settled  in 
Christian  county  in  1856.  William  Law 
jnuThased  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  land  between 
Taylorville  and  Buckeye  Prairie  and  to  the 
im])rovement  and  development  of  that  place 
lie  devoted  his  energies  until  called  to  his 
iinal  rest  on  the  ist  of  September,  1861.  His 
wife  died  in  October,  1863.  They  had  four 
children,' namely  :  William;  Ada;  James, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject;  and  George, 
all  now  deceased.  When  the  family  first 
located  here  the  country  was  wild  and  un- 
broken and  covered  with  ponds  and  sloughs. 
There  were  no  roads  and  fences  and  the  deer 
roamed  over  the  prairies. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


275 


James  Law,  our  subject's  grandfather,  be- 
came a  very  successful  farmer  and  the  owner 
of  considerable  land,  accumulating  enough 
property  to  give  his  children  all  good  farms. 
He  gave  liberally  to  the  erection  of  churches 
and  schoolhouses  on  Buckeye  Prairie  and  in 
other  ways  was  actively  identified  with  the 
upbuilding  of  the  locality  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ohio  and 
throughout  life  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits, dying  upon  his  farm  in  Locust  town- 
ship, August  27,  1880.  For  his  first  wife 
he  married  Lucretia  Stevens,  who  died  in 
1857,  leaving  four  children:  Mrs.  Lena 
Reynolds,  whi^  has  three  children,  two  living 
on  Buckeye  Prairie;  Nancy,  the  widow  of 
Charles  Wood  and  a  resident  of  Pana ;  Maria 
].,  the  mother  of  our  subject;  and  James, 
who  married  Ollie  Orr  and  died  leaving  two 
children.  James  Law's  second  union  was 
with  Letitia  Churchman,  who  still  survives 
him.     Of  her  three  children  two  are  livmg. 

Mrs.  Maria  J.  Howell  received  from  her 
father  a  nice  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  very  productive  and  choice  land. 
The  corn  crop  from  this  in  1903  yielded  sev- 
enty bushels  to  the  acre  and  other  grain  in 
proportion.  During  Mrs.  Howell's  girlhood 
wheat  was  the  principal  crop  and  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family  used  to  gather  the  sheaves 
and  shock  it.  She  often  dropped  corn  by 
hand  and  assisted  in  the  harrowing.  She 
has  also  shelled  corn  by  hand  and  helped  in 
the  harvest  field,  being  thoroughly  familiar 
with  farming  in  all  its  branches.  She  re- 
members well  the  conditions  of  early  days, 
when  one  could  see  nothing  but  straw  stacks 
for  miles,  there  being  no  fences  or  hedges 
of  any  kind,  but  plenty  of  open  prairie.  At 
that  time  there  were  many  wolves  and  rattle- 
snakes, while  wild  turkeys,  prairie  chickens 
and  cranes  were  thick. 

On  the  29th  of  October,   1872,  at  Pana, 


was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  John  Howell 
and  Maria  J.  Law.  The  former  was  born 
in  Indiana,  August  25,  1841,  a  son  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Rutherford)  Howell,  while 
the  latter  was  born  in  Noble  county,  Ohio, 
October  29,  1853,  and  was  a  mere  child 
when  brought  by  her  parents  to  Christian 
county.  After  their  marriage  the  young 
couple  located  in  Pana,  where  Mr.  Howell 
worked  at  his  trade  of  coopering  in  the 
spring  and  fall,  principally  manufacturing 
barrels  for  flour.  For  two  years  he  and  his 
wife  lived  on  her  farm  on  Buckeye  Prairie 
and  then  removed  to  Kansas  City  but  re- 
turned to  Christian  county  in  1880  and  lo- 
cated permanently  in  Pana,  occupying  the 
same  house  for  twenty-three  years.  During 
his  last  years  Mr.  Howell  was  an  invalid, 
being  afflicted  with  asthma  and  other  dis- 
eases contracted  in  the  army,  from  which 
he  died  on  the  30th  of  November,  1903. 

It  was  on  the  ist  of  December,  1861,  that 
Mr.  Howell  enlisted  from  Christian  county 
to  serve  three  years  and  was  mustered  into 
the  LTnited  States  service  at  Anna,  Illinois, 
February  18,  1862,  as  a  private  in  Com- 
pany H,  Fifty-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, under  the  command  of  Captain  Ed 
Roessler  and  Colonel  Thomas  W.  Harris, 
who  was  later  succeeded  by  Colonel  Green- 
ville M.  Mitchell.  The  regiment  was  organ- 
ized at  Camp  Dubois,  Anna,  Illinois,  as  a 
part  of  the  Kentucky  Brigade  and  February 
24,  1862,  was  ordered  to  Cairo.  On  the 
14th  of  March  they  moved  to  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  and  three  companies  were  sta- 
tioned at  Humboldt,  Tennessee,  during  the 
fall  of  1862  and  the  following  winter  were 
on  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  Jackson,  taking 
part  in  a  skirmish  at  Union  City,  Tennes- 
see. In  the  spring  of  1863,  having  moved 
to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  they  were  as- 
signed  to  the  Third  Brigade,   Second   Di- 


276 


FAST  AXD  PRESENT 


vision.  Sixteenth  Coq^s.  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee. During  its  service  the  command 
took  part  in  the  following  engagements :  the 
siege  of  Corinth.  Haines  Blutf.  siege  of 
Vicksburg.  Steele's  expedition  against  Lit- 
tle Rock.  Arkansas;  the  attack  on  copper- 
heads at  Charleston.  Illinois:  the  pursuit  of 
the  rel>el  General  Joe  Shelby  from  Little 
Rock  to  Clarendon.  Arkansas :  and  the  en- 
gagement on  the  Memphis  &  Little  Rtx^k 
Railroad,  where  almost  the  entire  command 
was  capturecl  by  Shelby  after  fighting  his 
vastly  superior  force  of  more  than  four 
thousand  for  five  hours  and  until  their  hav 
breastworks  were  burned  b}-  the  rebel  shells 
and  they  were  driven  out  by  the  extreme 
heat.  Companies  F  and  H  were  not  at- 
tacked, however,  being  at  that  time  detailed 
on  service  at  a  distant  station.  The  captured 
men  were  paroled  and  sent  to  Benton  Bar- 
racks. St.  Louis,  ^lissouri.  where  thev  were 
exchanged  December  ;.'  1864.  and  went  to 
Hickor>-  Station  on  the  Memphis  &  Little 
Rock  Railroad,  where  they  performed  guard 
duty  until  June  6.  1865.  when  the  command 
moved  to  Pine  Bluffs,  later  to  Fort  Smith 
and  Little  Rock.  Arkansas.  Here  Mr. 
Howell  was  taken  ill  and  sent  from  ^^icks- 
burg  to  Paducah.  Kentucky,  where  he  re- 
mained about  three  months,  returning  to  his 
regiment  at  Little  Rock.  He  was  also  in 
the  hospital  at  Jackson.  Mississippi,  for 
about  a  month.  At  all  other  times  he  was 
with  his  command  and  perfomied  most 
faithful  and  meritorious  service.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Springfield,  Illinois, 
February-  17,  1865.  ^y  reason  of  expiration 
of  service,  and  for  :■.  number  of  years  he 
was  a  member  of  Henr\-  A.  Pope  Post,  No. 
411,  G.  A.  R.  His  widow  belongs  to  Pope 
C-oqis,  No.  190,  W.  R.  C.  His  brother, 
James  \\'.,  sened  in  the  same  company  and 


regiment  as  himself  and  re-enlisted  as  a  vet- 
eran. 

Into  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howell  were  born 
five  children,  namely:  Frank  \\'..  of  this 
review:  Mertie  Belle,  deceased;  Margaret 
L.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Bert  Guenette  and 
has  one  child.  Evadna  P. :  Leona  Gertrude 
and  John  C.  both  at  home  with  their  mother. 
They  all  received  good  educations. 

Frank  \\'.  Howell  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Pana  and  was  a  memlx?r 
of  the  junior  class  of  the  high  school  when 
he  laid  asiile  his  books  and  entered  upon 
the  more  arduous  duties  of  business  life  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He  was  first  em- 
ployed as  night  clerk  in  the  hotel,  of  which 
he  is  now  proprietor,  it  being  then  owned 
by  'Sir.  Dalton,  for  whom  he  worked  for  five 
vears.  He  then  engaged  in  clerking  in  the 
store  of  G.  \'.  Penwell  until  the  spring  of 
1897.  when  he  returned  to  the  St.  Charles 
Hotel,  remaining  with  Mr.  Dalton  only  a 
short  time,  however.  He  next  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
as  assistant  road  supervisor  and  was  in  the 
company's  ot^ce  at  this  place  for  two  years. 
On  the  7th  of  October.  1899.  he  purchased 
the  St.  Charles  Hotel.  Mr.  Dalton  having 
died  in  the  meantime,  and  at  once  took 
charge  of  the  place  as  proprietor.  Mr. 
Howell  owns  the  building,  furniture  and  fix- 
tures and  has  enlarged  and  remodeled  the 
place,  making  it  the  best  dollar  a  day  house 
in  the  county.  It  is  a  favorite  stopping 
place  with  commercial  travelers  and  is  also 
headquarters  for  Assumption  merchants,  as 
well  as  for  the  railroad  men  connected  with 
the  Illinois  Central.  Big  Four.  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  and  Frisco  Railroads.  Mr.  Howell 
has  eight  persons  in  his  employ  and 
under  liis  capable  management  the  business 
of  the  hotel  has  rapidly  increased.  \\'hen 
it  came  under  his  control  onlv  al30ut  one 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


277 


liundred  and  seventy  were  served  with  meals 
each  day  hut  this  number  has  been  increased 
to  over  five  hundred.  Pleasant  and  obliging 
in  manner,  he  has  proved  a  very  popular  host 
and  is  a  business  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability.  •  To  some  extent  he  deals  in  real  es- 
tate, buying  and  selling  residence  property 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Pana  National 
Bank. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1896,  Mr.  Howell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Orpha  May 
Chapman,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mar- 
garet (McKee)  Chapman,  of  Rosemond, 
Illinois.  She  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
December  5,  1874,  and  was  educated  in  the 
pul)]ic  schools  of  Pana.  She  is  an  accom- 
plished musician  and  prior  to  her  marriage 
was  a  good  stenographer  and  compositor, 
being  employed  on  the  Paiadmiii  paper.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Howell  have  an  interesting  little 
daughter,  Marcella  Eileen,  born  August  9, 
1899.  In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Howell  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternity and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, and  is  a  man  well  liked  by  all  who  know 
him. 


S.    W.    CULP. 


Few  men  are  more  prominent  or  more 
widely  known  in  the  city  of  Morrisonville 
than  S.  W.  Culp.  He  has  been  an  important 
factor  in  business  circles  and  public  affairs 
and  his  popularity  is  well  deserved  as  in  him 
are  embraced  the  characteristics  of  an  un- 
bending integrity,  unabating  energy  and  in- 
dustry that  never  flags.  He  is  public-spir- 
ited and  thoroughly  interested  in  whatever 
tends  to  promote  the  moral,  intellectual  and 
material  welfare  of  Morrisonville. 

Mr.  Culp  was  born  in  Meigs  county, 
Ohio,  April  22,  1845,  ^^'^^^  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
W.  Culp,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  of 


Pennsylvania  Dutch  parentage.  For  some 
years  the  father  was  engaged  in  farming  in 
Ohio  and  in  1865  removed  to  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  and  resumed  farming.  There 
his  death  occurred  in  1894.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  passed  away  in  1880.  S.  W.  Culp 
received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  state.  Coming  to  Illi- 
nois in  1865,  he  taught  school  here  until  the 
fall  of  1 87 1,  when  he  entered  the  university 
at  Carlinville  and  continued  his  studies  there 
until  his  graduation  in  1873.  He  then 
served  as  principal  of  a  high  school  in  Ma- 
coupin county,  Illinois,  until  his  removal  to 
Christian  county  in  1876,  at  which  time  he 
accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  No- 
komis  schools  and  was  in  charge  of  the  same 
for  one  year,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Morrisonville  and  had  charge  of  its  schools 
for  six  years.  In  educational  work  he  met 
with  excellent  success  and  proved  a  very 
competent  and  thorough  instructor. 

In  1882  Mr.  Culp  purchased  the  drug- 
stock  of  Leroy  Martin,  who  was  proprietor 
of  the  oldest  store  in  that  line  in  the  city, 
and  he  is  to-day  known  as  the  leading  drug- 
gist of  the  place.  He  bought  the  building 
in  which  he  carries  on  business  in  1883,  it 
being  twenty  by  one  hundred  and  forty  feet 
in  dimensions,  with  his  ofiice  and  dispensing 
room  in  the  rear  of  the  main  store  room  and 
a  large  wareroom  in  the  back.  In  addition 
to  a  full  line  of  drugs,  he  now  carries  jew- 
elry and  in  that  department  of  his  business 
has  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  L.  Mullen, 
who  is  a  practical  jeweler.  Mr.  Culp  does 
not  confine  his  attention  wholly  to  his  store 
as  he  has  become  interested  in  newspaper 
work,  having  purchased  the  Times  in  1887. 
This  he  conducts  as  a  non-partisan  paper 
and  since  it  came  into  his  possession  the 
circulation   has    been   doubled,    there   being 


278 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


nuw  between  seven  and  eight  linndred  sub- 
scribers. He  has  made  it  (Uie  of  the  leading 
journals  of  the  county,  it  being  a  bright, 
newsy  sheet,  full  of  local  and  foreign  news. 
Mr.  Gulp  owns  the  building  in  which  the 
paper  is  i)rinted  and  besides  his  business 
property  has  a  fine  residence  in  the  Pence 
addition  to  ]\Iorrisonville,  which  is  modern 
in  all  its  appointments  and  is  an  honor  to 
the  city. 

In  1886  Mr.  Gulp  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Nina  M.  Dunning.  Her  father. 
Andrew  J-  Dunning,  was  a  native  of  New^ 
York  and  was  a  railroad  conductor  in  the 
east  for  some  years.  In  1884  iie  came  to 
Ghristian  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Bear 
Greek  township,  to  the  cultivation  and  im- 
provement of  which  he  then  turned  his  at- 
tention. There  he  spent  his  remaining  days, 
dying  in  1891. 

Always  a  consistent  Democrat,  the  party 
acknow  ledged  his  services  by  appointing  Mr. 
Gulp  postmaster  of  Morrisonville  during 
President  Gleveland's  administration,  and 
he  filled  that  ofiicc  in  a  most  creditable  and 
satisfactory  manner.  He  has  also  served  as 
town  collector  and  has  been  a.  member  of 
the  school  board  for  six  years.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Business  Men's  Asso- 
ciation and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Mor- 
risonville Building  &  Loan  Association,  of 
wdiich  he  is  now*  president.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  ]\Iasonic  lodge  in  Mor- 
risonville and  belongs  to  the  chapter  in  Tay- 
lorville  and  the  Litchfield  commandery.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America  at  Morrisonville  and  has 
passed  through  all  the  chairs  in  that  order. 
His  influence  and  labors  have  been  of 
marked  effect  in  promoting  the  interests  of 
his  adopted  city  and  he  stands  deservedly 
high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men. 


D.    W.  JOHNSTON. 

Among  the  prominent  and  representative 
citizens  of  Taylorville  is  numbered  D.  W. 
lohnston.  He  has  been  an  important  factor 
in  her  business  circles  for  some  years  and 
is  a  man  whose  worth  and  ability  have 
gained  him  success,  honor  and  public  con- 
fidence. He  enjoys  the  well-earned  distinc- 
tion of  being  what  the  public  calls  a  self- 
made  man  and  an  analyzation  of  his  char- 
acter reveals  the  fact  that  enterprise,  well 
directed  effort  and  honorable  dealing  have 
been  the  essential  features  in  his  prosperity. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  born  in  Madison  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  October  13,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of 
Alexander  and  Susan  Johnston.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  being  brought 
to  this  country  at  an  early  age  was  princi- 
pally reared  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Ghristian 
county,  where  he  b.ecame  the  owner  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he 
operated  c[uite  successfully  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  in  1872.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was  l)orn  in  Ohio. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  state  D.  W. 
Johnston  began  his  education  and  continued 
his  studies  here  after  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily to  Illinois.  At  the  age  of  tw^enty  years 
he  commenced  farming  and  continued  to 
follow  that  occupation  for  several  years.  He 
spent  about  seven  years  in  the  gold  mines  of 
Golorado,  IMontana  and  Idaho,  and  then 
turned  his  attention  to  the  cattle  business, 
driving  his  stock  from  Texas  to  Kansas.  He 
dealt  in  southern  cattle  for  about  four  years 
and  in  1872  returned  to  Ghristian  county, 
his  time  being  taken  up  by  his  farming  in- 
terests in  Johnson  township  during  the  fol- 
lowing seven  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  removed  to  Taylorville  and  has  since 
been  identified  with  several  business  enter- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


279 


prises  that  have  prox^ed  successful  He  is 
j)resident  of  the  Christian  County  Coal  Com- 
pany of  Taylorville  and  vice  president  of 
the  Farmers'  National  Bank  of  this  city.  He 
owns  consideral)le  property,  including  twen- 
ty-six hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  fine 
farming  land  in-  Christian  county  and  over 
one  thousand  acres  in  Mississippi.  While  re- 
siding on  his  farm  he  gave  considerable  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  stock  for  the  market 
and  found  that  business  quite  profitable. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  married  in  1879  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Wilson,  who  was  reared  in  this 
state,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren :  Roy  A.  and  Cleona.  Mr.  Johnston  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  As  a 
Democrat  he  has  taken  quite  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  local  politics  and  for 
eight  terms  served  as  supervisor  of  Johnson 
township.  He  was  also  president  of  the 
board  of  education  for  three  years.  The 
record  of  Mr.  Johnston  is  that  of  a  man  who 
by  his  own  efforts  has  worked  his  way  up- 
ward to  a  position  of  affluence.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  industry  and  perseverance,  and 
the  systematic  and  honorable  business  meth- 
ods he  has  followed  have  won  for  him  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all. 


B.  P.  WINDSOR,  M.  D. 

Dr.  B.  P.  Windsor,  who  follows  scientific 
methods  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  whose  knowledge  and  capability  rank 
him  among  the  foremost  representatives  of 
the  medical  fraternity  in  Christian  county, 
has  made  his  home  in  Mount  Auburn  since 
1899,  and  during  this  period  has  gained  a 
very  gratifying  patronage.  He  w^as  born 
in  McLean  county,  Illinois,  on  the  15th  of 
July,  1874,  a  son  of  E.  B.  and  Mary  Alice 
(Grant)  Windsor.  About  fifteen  years  ago 
his  father  removed  to  Horton,  Kansas,  and 


for  thirteen  years  was  foreman  of  the  round- 
house of  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific 
and  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Com- 
panies. For  three  years  he  was  in  the  mas- 
ter mechanics'  ofifice  and  three  years  ago  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Mount  Auburn,  where 
he  has  recently  been  appointed  postmaster, 
so  that  he  is  now  discharging  the  duties  of 
that  position. 

Dr.  Windsor,  having  mastered  the  pre- 
liminary branches  of  English  learning,  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  the  high  school  of  Hor- 
ton, Kansas,  and  also  in  Creighton  Uni- 
versity, at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  which  in- 
stitution he  prepared  for  the  practice  of  med- 
icine and  won  the  Doctor  of  Medicine  degree 
with  the  class  of  1895.  Further  preparation 
for  the  important  duties  of  the  profession 
was  received  through  six  month.s'  hospital 
experience  in  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  at 
Omaha,  and  in  1897  he  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  was  assistant  to  Professor  Sanger 
Brown  in  the  Post-Graduate  Hospital  for  a 
year.  He  also  served  for  six  months  in  the 
United  States  Marine  Hospital  at  Omaha, 
Nebraska,  and  on  the  25th  of  October,  1899. 
he  came  to  Mount  Auburn  to  make  his 
home. 

Dr.  Windsor  then  purchased  of  W.  K. 
Wright  four  acres  of  ground,  on  which  he 
has  built  a  fine  modern  residence  of  eleven 
rooms,  supplied  with  all  up-to-date  equip- 
ments. He  has  his  own  gas  plant,  hot  and 
cold  water,  bathroom,  and  the  house  is 
heated  by  hot  water.  He  has  his  ofifice  in 
his  residence  and  also  the  central  ofifice  of 
the  Independent  and  Bell  Telephone  Com- 
panies. His  home  is  most  tastefully  and 
beautifully  furnished  and  an  air  of  gracious 
and  hearty  hospitality  pervades  the  place. 
Dr.  Windsor  has  also  erected  a  modern  six- 
room  house  in  wdiich  his  father  is  living. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1897,  Dr.  Windsor 


280 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


w  as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Litia  Carter, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  A.  H.  Carter,  a  practicing 
physician  of  Council  Bhiffs,  Iowa.  Unto 
the  Doctor  and  his  wife  were  horn,  on  the 
29th  of  June.  1898,  twin  hoys,  Bennet  P. 
and  John  Clark,  hut  the  former  died  in  in- 
fancy. Dr.  and  Mrs.  Windsor  are  memhers 
of  the  Christian  church,  and  he  is  a  valued 
representative  of  several  fraternal  organiza- 
tions. He  belongs  to  Kedron  Lodge,  No. 
340,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Racy  Lodge,  No.  629, 
K.  P.,  of  Mount  Auburn;  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Camp,  No.  2849.  His  uniform 
courtesy  and  kindly  disposition  have  gained 
him  many  friends  outside  those  whom  he 
has  met  professionally  and  he  is  a  popular 
citizen  of  Mount  Auburn.  His  attention, 
however,  is  chiefly  given  to  his  profession, 
which  makes  heavy  demands  upon  his  time, 
his  patronage  continually  increasing.  In  ad- 
dition to  a  large  private  practice  he  is  now 
examining-  physician  to  the  John  Hancock 
Life  Insurance  Company,  the  Aetna,  the 
New  York  Mutual  and  the  New  York 
Life  Insurance  Companies.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Decatur  Medical  Society,  the 
Illinois  State  Medical  Association  and  the 
American  Medical  Association.  He  has  un- 
faltering regard  for  the  ethics  of  the  profes- 
sion and  enjoys  the  highest  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  brethren  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity as  well  as  of  the  general  public. 


JUDGE  LYMAN  G..  GRUNDY. 

He  is  actively  connected  with  a  profes- 
sion which  has  important  bearing  upon  the 
progress  and  stable  prosperity  of  any  sec- 
tion or  communitv,  and  one  which  has  lono- 
been  considered  as  conserving  the  pul)lic 
welfare  by  furthering  the  ends  of  justice 
and    maintaining    individual    rights.       His 


reputation  as  a  lawyer  has  been  won  through 
earnest,  honest  labor,  and  his  standing  at 
the  bar  is  a  merited  tribute  to  his  ability. 
He  now  has  a  very  large  practice,  and  his 
careful  preparation  of  cases  is  supi)lemented 
by  a  power  of  argument  and  a  forceful 
presentation  of  his  points  in  the  courtroom, 
so  that  he  never  fails  to  impress  court  or 
jury,  and  seldom  fails  to  gain  the  verdict 
desired. 

The  Judge  was  born  in  Macoupin  coun- 
ty, Illincjis,  near  Virden,  in  1861,  a  son  of 
Harry  and  Ellen  M.  (Smith)  Grundy,  who 
are  now  residing  near  Morrisonville,  in 
Christian  county.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  Henry  Grundy 
who  came  to  America  from  England  in  the 
year  1853.  Establishing  his  home  in 
Bureau  county,  Illinois,  he  there  engaged  in 
business  as  a  stock  man.  He  married  Ruth 
Gladstone,  a  lady  of  Scotch  descent,  and 
l;oth  have  now  passed  away.  The  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  John  G. 
Smith,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  whence 
he  removed  to  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  in  the 
early  '30s.  He  wedded  Polly  Ann  White, 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  White  of  Jersey  county. 
In  the  vicinity  of  Virden  John  G.  Smith 
made  his  home  and  carried  on  farming  for 
many  years.  He  was  one  of  the  supervisors 
of  Macoupin  county  and  took  an  active  part 
in  public  affairs,  being  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  his 
community.  Harry  Grundy  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  England,  and,  crossing  the  At- 
lantic to  America  when  a  young  man,  lo- 
cated in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  in  1850, 
as  one  of  its  pioneer  settlers.  He  assisted  in 
building  the  railroad  and  was  engaged  in 
working  in  the  lumber  woods  until  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  i860, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ellen  M. 
Smith,    a    native    of    Jersey    county.     The 


L.  G.  GRUNDY 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


283 


young  couple  liegan  their  domestic  life  upon 
a  farm  in  Macoupin  county  and  in  1863  re- 
moved to  Christian  county,  where  they  have 
since  resided.  In  the  family  are  three  sons 
and  a  daughter:  Lyman  G.,  Charles  N., 
v^ieorge  G.,  and  Maude,  the  wife  of  Louis 
Rittger. 

In  the  common  schools  of  Morrisonville 
ludge  Grundy  acquired  the  ^"udiments  of  his 
education,  and  spent  one  year  as  a  student 
in  the  Jacksonville  Business  College  at  Jack- 
sonville,   Illinois,    and   two   years    in   Mon- 
mouth College.    For  seven  years  he  engaged 
in  teaching  school,  heing  for  three  years  a 
teacher  in  Ricks  township,  and  for  a  similar 
period  he  was  principal  of  the  high  school 
of  Pana.     He  also  served  as  prhicipal  of 
the   schools  of  Morrisonville   for   one  year 
and  was  known  as  a  capahle  educator  who 
imparted   clearly,    readily  and   concisely   to 
others  the  knowledge  that  he  had  gained. 
He    followed    that    profession    until    1890, 
when,  wishing  to  make  the  practice  of  law 
his   life   w^ork,   he  hegan    reading   in    Pana 
and   suhsecjuently  he  pursued   a   course  of 
study   in  the  law^   department  of   the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  w^here 
he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of   1893. 
The   same  year  he   located    in  Taylorville, 
forming  a  partnership  with  Ex-Judge  Rufus 
M.    Potts.      This    relation   w^as   maintained 
until  the  succeeding  year,  wdien  Mr.  Grundy 
was  nominated  for  the  position  of  judge  of 
Christian  county  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
securing  election  by  a  majority  of  nine  hun- 
dred and  forty,  although  the  usual  Demo- 
cratic majority  is  seven  hundred.    No  higher 
testimonial  of  his  personal  popularity  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow- 
citizens  could  be  gi\  en.     On  the  bench  his 
decisions  were  always  fair  and  impartial  and 
were  a  correct  application  of  legal  principles 
to  the  points  in   litigation.     He  won  high 


encomiums  from  the  bar  and  proved  a  capa- 
ble   officer.     On    his    retirement    from    the 
bench   he   resumed   the   practice   of   law    in 
Taylorville.     While  on  the  bench  he  tried 
the  first  case  involving  the  Australian  ballot 
law    in   this   state,    which   was   brought   up 
under  the  name  of  White  versus  Orr,  being 
an  election  contest  case  for  county  superin- 
tendent of  schools  of  Christian  county.    The 
construction  put  upon  the  statute  by  Judge 
Grundy  was  sustained  and  affirmed  by  the 
supreme  court  of  Illinois  and  has  been  the 
leading  case  of  the  kind  in  this  state.     After 
his  retirement  from  the  bench  the  Judge  be- 
came a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Sharrock 
&  Grundy,  but  this  connection  was  dissolved 
in  August,  1903,  and  our  subject  has  since 
heen  alone  in  practice.     He  is  patient  and 
persevering,    possesses   an    analytical    mind 
and   one  that   is   readily   receptive   and   re- 
tentive of  the   fundamental   principles   and 
intricacies  of  the  law.     He  is  fearless  in  his 
defense  of  any  cause  he  may  espouse  and  at 
the  bar  has  won  many  notable  victories. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1897,  Judge  Grundy 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Roxy  C. 
Bates,  a  daughter  of  Zura  F.  Bates,  of  Lo- 
cust township.  Christian  county,  and  they 
now  have  a  son,  Harry  Bates  Grundy.  So- 
cially the  Judge  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
order  and  is  past  chancellor  commander  of 
the  latter  lodge  in  Taylorville.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and 
his  life  has  ever  been  actuated  by  sterling 
principles  and  characterized  by  close  fidelity 
to  every  cause,  measure  or  improvement 
which  he  believes  to  be  right. 


WILLIAM   E.   TURNER. 
William  E.  Turner,  who  is  occupying  the 
position  of  cashier  in  the  bank  of  B.  A.  Tur- 
ner in  Edinburg,  is  one  of  the  native  sons 


16 


284 


TAST  AND  PRESENT 


of  Christian.  Cdiinty,  liis  birth  haxing  oc- 
curred in  'raylorville  on  the  jyih  of  Eelnni- 
arv,  1872.  His  prehminary  education,  ac- 
quired in  the  i)ul)hc  schools,  was  supi)le- 
n.iented  l)y  a  course  of  study  in  t'.ie  l)usiness 
college  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  From  1890 
until  1897,  '1^"  engaged  in  teaching  in  the 
district  schools  and  pro\-ed  a  most  capable 
instructor,  imparting  clearly  and  readily  to 
others  the  knowledge  that  he  had  acquired. 
Tm-oui  1897  until  1899  he  was  principal  of 
the  public  schools  of  Good  Hope,  Illinois, 
and  in  Julv  of  the  latter  year  he  accepted 
the  position  of  cashier  in  the  Ijanking  house 
of  his  bn^ther,  B.  A.  Turner,  of  Edinburg, 
in  which  capacity  he  has  since  served.  He  is 
a  popular  official  and  to  his  efforts  may  be 
attributed  not  a  little  of  the  success  of  the 
institution. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1897,  Mr.  Turner 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Edith  E. 
Hitchcock,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  W.  H. 
Hitchcock  of  Lewiston,  Fulton  county,  Illi- 
nois. They  have  an  adopted  daughter, 
Hazel  Evelyn.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  are 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  city  and 
enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of 
friends,  while  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  is  freely  accorded  them.  In  pul)lic 
matters  Mr.  Turner  is  prominent  and  influ- 
ential and  in  A]iril,  1903,  he  was  selected 
president  of  the  \illage  on  the  anti-license 
ticket.  Everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  community  recci\'es  his  endorsement 
and  co-operation  and  he  is  exercising  his 
official  prerogati\cs  in  support  of  whatever 
tends  to  benefit  his  community. 


OLIVER   LEE   CROW,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Oliver  Lee  Crow,  the  junior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Rockey  &  Crow,  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  Assumption,   was  born  in 


Blue  Mound,  Illinois,  October  16,  1878,  and 
is  a  son  of  E.  W.  and  Nancy  Jane  (Dealty) 
Crow,  who  were  also'  natives  of  Blue  Mound. 
Bv  their  marriage  they  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children  who  are  yet  living. 

Dr.  Crow  spent  his  boyhood  days  under 
the  i)arents'  roof  in  Macon  county  and  at  the 
usual  age  began  his  education  as  a  pupil  in 
the  public  schools  of  Blue  Mound.  Subse- 
(juentlv  he  attended  the  Illinois  State  Nor- 
■nal  School  at  Bloomington  for  a  year,  and 
then  turned  his  attention  to  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  for  three  years  m  the 
district  schools  of  Christian  county,  giving 
excellent  satisfaction  by  reason  of  his  easy 
and  accurate  manner  of  imparting  to  others 
the  knowdedge  that  he  had  acquired.  When 
twenty  years  of  age  he  liegan  to  study  medi- 
cine, having  resolved  to  make  its  practice  his 
life  work.  He  spent  four  years  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  as  a  student  in  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians &  Surgeons,  and  during-  his  college 
days  he  was  also  under  the  preceptorage  of  ^ 
Dr.  A.  C.  Foster,  now  of  Bement,  Illinois, 
and  Dr.  William  Barnes,  of  Decatur,  Illi- 
nois. He  made  a  splendid  record  while  in 
college.  He  won  first  honors  in  the  first, 
second  and  fourth  years  and  was  valedic- 
torian of  his  graduating  class.  He  has  a 
gold  medal  won  for  scholarship  during  his 
senior  year,  and  he  was  graduated  on  the 
8th  of  April,  1903,  a  member  of  a  class  of 
sixty-one,  fifty-nine  of  whom  made  grade. 
Aside  from  his  regular  course  in  niedicine 
and  surgery  he  also  pursued  a  six  months' 
course  in  pharmacy,  and  thus  he  was  par- 
ticularly well  equipped  w^hen  he  came  to  As- 
sumption to  enter  upon  the  difficult  and 
arduous  duties  of  the  medical  profession, 
h^irming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Rockey  he 
has  already  won  the  pul)lic  confidence  in  a 
large  degree  and  has  secured  a  very  liberal 
patronage  for  a  young  and  newly  established 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


285 


physician.  His  high  standing-  m  college 
argues  well  for  a  successful  professional 
career. 

Dr.  Crow  was  married  December  24, 
1902,  to  Miss  Ida  Kester,  a  daughter  of 
I.  K.  Kester,  a  farmer  living  east  of  Macon, 
Illinois.  She  was  'born  in  Christian  county, 
March  3,  1880.  attended  the  Taylorville 
schools,  the  Decatur  high  school  and  Chris- 
tian College,  at  Columbia,  Missouri.  She 
made  a  specialty  of  the  study  of  music  and 
has  engaged  in  teaching  that  art.  Both  the 
Doctor  and  his  wife  have  already  made  many 
warm  friends  in  Assumption,  where  they 
liave  a  pleasant  home,  noted  for  its  gracious 
and  charming  hospitality.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  his  political  views. 


MRS.    LAURA   B.    EVANS. 

Mrs.  Laura  B.  Evans,  who  is  serving  as  a 
trustee  of  the  state  university  and  as  presi- 
dent of  the  library  board  of  Taylorville,  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential 
ladies  of  this  portion  of  Illinois  and  her  ef- 
forts have  been  effective  in  promoting  edu- 
cational advancement.  She  was  born  in 
Weston,  Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ur- 
liane  Neill  and  Elizabeth  (Malson)  Twadell. 
Her  father  was  born  on  the  12th  of  April, 
1830,  at  Springhill,  Logan  county,  Ohio, 
and  died  in  the  year  1864.  He  went  to  Kan- 
sas at  the  time  of  the  great  struggle  concern- 
ing its  admission  as  a  free  or  slave  state.  He 
was  married  there  and  afterward  removed 
to  Missouri,  where  in  1862  he  offered  his 
services  to  the  government,  enlisting  in  St. 
Louis,  in  the  Eleventh  Missouri  Cavalry. 
His  family  then  went  to  Clinton,  Illinois, 
where  his  wife's  parents  were  living.  Mr. 
Twadell  remained  in  the  army  until  1864, 
when  he  died  from  a  congestive  chill. 

Mrs.  Evans  and  her  mother  and  brother, 


Charles  N.  Twadell,  afterward  removed  to 
Waynesville,  where  her  later  girlhood  days 
were  passed.  In  1877  she  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Charles  E.  Evans,  who  was 
born  in  Waynesville  in  1855,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  W.  and  Elizabeth  Evans.  He  was 
serving  as  postmaster  at  the  time  of  their 
marriage  and  Mrs.  Evans  was  at  once  in- 
stalled as  deputy.  In  1879  they  removed  to 
Kansas  and  subsequently  came  to  Taylor- 
ville, Illinois,  where  Mr.  Evans  accepted  a 
position  with  S.  S.  Sprague  &  Company, 
erain  dealers,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
tW'Clve  years  or  until  the  elevator  of  the  com- 
pany was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  then  be- 
came bookkeeper  for  Price  &  Wilkinson  and 
yet  occupies  this  position.  He  is  an  expert 
accountant  and  is  now  acting  as  auditor  in 
connection  with  the  Boyd  case  which  is  in 
court.  He  is  a  representative  of  the  Houser 
family,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent 
families  of  the  state. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  have  been  born 
three  children:  Nonna,  who  died  in  1898 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Bessie,  who  was 
born  in  1885  and  is  now  a  student  in  Forest 
Park  Seminary  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  and 
Kenneth,  who  was  born  in  1882  and  is  now 
a  student  in  the  State  University  of  Illinois 
at  Champaign.  He  is  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1904  and  he  belongs  to  the  Beta  Theta  Pi. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  hold  membership 
in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  is  a  valued 
member  of  the  Woodman  Camp,  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Loyal 
American  Legion  and  the  Court  of  Honor. 

Mrs.  Evans  received  her  education  in 
Waynesville  Academy  and  was  actively  con- 
nected with  public  work  in  the  city  of 
Waynesville.  When  but  fourteen  years  of 
age  she  was  chosen  to  present  a  (lag  to  the 
Republican  club  of  the  city.  After  remov- 
ing to  Taylorville  she  joined  the  Women's 


28«^. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Relief  Corjjs,  the  Eastern  Star,  tlic  Rehekali 
Lodge,  the  'l^-ibe  of  Ben  Hur  and  the  Court 
of  Honor  and  has  exerted  a  stroni;'  influence 
in  all  of  these  organizations.  She  was  the 
president  of  the  Women's  Relief  Corps  when 
in  1S9J  it  erected  a  nionnnient  to  the  old 
soldiers  in  the  cemetery  here.  This  monu- 
ment was  unxeiled  hv  her  daughter  Bessie 
in  the  presence  of  the  largest  crowd  ever 
assembled  in  Taylorville.  In  1900  the  fam- 
il\'  remo\ed  to  Champaign  in  order  that  the 
son  Kenneth  might  attend  college  there. 
They  were  there  two  years  and  while  there 
the  friends  of  Mrs.  Evans  insisted  upon  her 
becoming  a  candidate  for  the  position  of  a 
trustee  for  the  state  university.  The  con- 
vention was  held  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  and 
tAvo  hundred  and  fifty  of  her  Taylorville 
friaids  went  to  that  city  to  secure  her  nom- 
ination. She  was  ])laced  in  nomination  by 
Mrs.  S.  L.  Chamberlain  in  one  of  the  best 
speeches  ever  made  l)y  a  woman  in  Illinois 
and  in  igoj  she  was  elected  to  the  position 
u])on  the  Republican  ticket.  Mrs.  Evans 
early  became  identified  with  the  Womans' 
Club,  which  was  organized  in  i8<)7  \vith  the 
object  (jf  establishing  a  library  here.  She 
became  chairman  of  the  library  committee 
and  was  one  of  six  ladies  who  collected  eight 
hundred  volumes  and  presented  them  to  the 
mayor  and  council  for  the  city  on  the  condi- 
tion that  the  city  would  furnish  a  room  for 
library  purposes  in  the  city  hall,  which  was 
readily  agreed  to.  Mrs.  Evans  is  now  the 
president  of  the  library  board.  The  librarv 
has  received  a  donation  from  Carnegie  of 
twelve  thousand  dollars  and  the  institution 
has  become  one  of  great  value  and  of  prom- 
inence in  Christian  county.  Mrs.  Evans  is 
a  woman  of  broad  mind,  of  liberal  culture 
and  of  innate  refinement  and  her  influence 
is  strong  and  forceful;  her  efforts  in  behalf 
of   intellectualitv   and   educational   advance- 


ment have  been  far-reaching"  and  beneficial; 
and  her  work  in  other  lines  has  been  of  great 
benefit  to  her  fellow-men. 


1.  P..  (iORl)EN. 

Trairieton  township  probably  has  no 
more  honored  or  liighly  respected  citizen 
than  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch.  He  was  born  on  the  2d  of  Veh- 
ruary,  1843,  in  Montgomery  county.  Ken- 
tucky, of  which  state  his  parents,  William 
V.  and  Lydia  E.  Ribelin  Gorden,  were  also 
natives.  They  were  married  December  7, 
1 841,  and  in  their  family  were  the  following 
children:  I.  B. ;  William  R. ;  Randall  R. ; 
Thomas  J. ;  John  M. ;  Joseph  A. ;  Sarah  J. ; 
Mary  A.,  deceased;  and  B.  F.,  also  deceased. 
Coming"  to  Illinois  the  family  located  in 
Christian  county  on  the  5th  of  March,  1862, 
and  here  the  mother  died  two  years  later, 
passing  away  on  the  loth  of  January.  1864. 
The  father,  who  long  survi^'ed  her,  died  at 
the  old  homestead  in  Christian  county,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1899.  He  was  a  son  of  Randall 
R.  and  Rachel  (Baber)  Gorden,  natives  of 
Virginia.  At  the  age  of  nine  years,  how- 
ever, Randall  R.  Gorden  went  to  Kentucky, 
floating  down  the  Ohio  river  on  a  flatboat 
and  landing  on  the  present  site  of  Mays- 
\"ille,  where  he  located.  On  the  trip  he  was 
shot  at  by  the  Indians  wdio  were  then  very 
hostile  to  the  white  settlers.  He  was  only 
eighteeii  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage, wdiile  the  bride  was  a  girl  of  fifteen. 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity  T.  B.  Gorden 
was  reared  and  educated,  pursuing  his 
studies  in  an  old  log  schoolhouse.  He  was 
twenty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  re- 
moval of  the  family  to  Christian  county, 
Illinois,  and  tw'o  years  later  he  started  out 
in  life  for  himself  as  a  farmer,  operating 
rented  land  for  three  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  purchased  eighty  acres  on  sec- 


I.   B.   GORDEN   AND   FAMILY 


WILLIAM   V.   GORDEN.    MAUD  AND  CELIA  GORDEN 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


291 


tion  20,  Prairieton  township,  where  he  now 
resides,  and  has  since  added  to  his  property 
until  he  now  has  two  hn.ndred  and  forty 
acres,  which  is  nnder  a  high  state  of  cnltiva- 
tion  and  well  improved  with  good  and  snh- 
stantial  l)nilding'S.  The  pleasant  residence 
is  snrronnded  by  fine  shade  trees,  all  of 
wdiich  w^ere  set  ont  by  Mr.  Gorden.  and  the 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  his  place 
plainly  indicates  the  supervision  of  a  pro- 
gTessi\'e  and  painstaking  owner. 

On  the  2r)th  of  January,  1865,  Mr.  Gor- 
den was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Effa- 
dilla  Workman,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  B. 
Workman,  who  came  to  this  county  at  an 
early  day.  She  died  March  29,  1897,  leav- 
ing the  following  chddren,  namely :  Charles, 
who  is  married  and  is  engaged  iii  farming 
in  Macon  county;  James  W.,  wdio  is  mar- 
ried and  lives  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  A/[ary  L.. 
wife  of  Albert  Ziegler,  a  farmer  of  Prairie-' 
t(in  township,  this  county;  Maggie  M.,  wife 
of  Hiram  Bilyeu;  and  Louis  L,  Estella 
Grace  and  Thomas  L.,  all  at  home  The 
family  hold  membership  in  the  Christian 
church  and  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes 
of  the  community  is  extended  to  them,  for 
they  have  many  friends  and  are  held  in  the 
highest  regard  by  all  who  know  them.  Mr. 
Gorden  uses  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  })rinci- 
ples,  and  he  has  capably  filled  the  ofiices  of 
township  collector  and  school  trustee,  serv- 
ing in  the  former  capacity  four  years  and 
in  the  latter  nineteen  years.  He  has  recently 
returned  from  Kentucky,  where  he  went  to 
purchase  the  Inirial  plot  in  v.hich  the  re- 
mains of  his  grandparents  were  interred. 


G.  B.  CLAUSSEN. 
G.  B.  Claussen  through  much  of  his  life 
has  resided  in  Christian  county  and  is  to-day 
the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred 


and  forty  acres  of  well  improved  land  on 
section  10,  StoningtcMi  towaiship.  He  has 
resided  here  continuously  since  1867,  and 
the  excellent  improvements  upon  the  prop- 
erty are  an  indication  of  his  diligence,  enter- 
prise and  progressive  spirit. 

Mr.  -Claussen  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  15th  of  April,  1843, 
and  is  a  son  of  E.  H.  and  Sarah  (Lingo) 
Claussen.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Deu- 
mark  and  in  1834  came  to  the  United  States. 
PTe  landed  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  re- 
mained for  but  a  year  and  then  removed  to 
Bond  county,  Illinois,  in  1835.  In  the  early 
years  of  his  residence  in  this  country  he 
was  engaged  in  school  teaching.  He  w^as 
a  very  well  educated  man,  a  fine  linguist,  and 
taught  three  different  languages.  In  Bond 
C(ounty  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Lingo,  and 
they  afterward  lived  in  Madison,  Montgom- 
ery and  Jefferson  counties,  successively.  In 
the  last  named  county  Mr.  Claussen  died  on 
the  23d  of  July,  1849,  ^^  the  age  of  thirty- 
five  years. 

Our  subject's  mother  was  born  in  St. 
Charles  county,  Missouri,  February  19, 
18 1 7,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Jane 
(Thompson)  Lingo,  the  former  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, July  5,  1777,  and  the  latter  in  Ken- 
tucky, January  30,  1790.  Her  paternal 
grandfather,  James  Lingo.  Sr.,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Washington's  army  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary w^ar  and  fell  in  battle  in  1780  or 
1781.  His  widow  was  left  with  three  small 
children,  the  oldest  l)eing  a  girl  and  the  sec- 
ond lames,  Jr.  She  died  when  the  latter 
was  only  tweU'C  years  of  age  and  the  chil- 
dren were  then  liound  out  to  different  per- 
sons in  Virginia  as  their  property  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  Tories  during  the  war, 
James  Lingo,  Jr.,  remained  a  resident  of  that 
state  until  grown  and  then  went  to  Ken- 
tucky,  where  he  was   married    in    18 10  to 


292 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


jane  Thompson.  Ilcr  ancestors  migrated 
to  Kentucky  when  that  region  was  inhah- 
ited  onlv  h\-  llic  savage  Indians,  heing  a 
nieml)er  of  the  same  colony  with  Peter  Cart- 
wrlsfht's  father.  Thev  had  to  corral  their 
wagons  and  sonic  of  the  nunihcr  stood  on 
guard  witli  their  gims  while  the  others  work, 
hnilding  homes  in  the  forests.  At  that  time 
the  state  was  not  Laid  out  into  counties  and 
sections.  William  Thompson,  Mrs.  Lingo's 
father,  settled  at  a  place  known  as  the  Flag 
Spring  and  there  estahlished  a  po.stoffice.  It 
was  at  that  i)lace  that  Mrs.  Lingo  was  horn. 
Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  War  of 
i8iJ,  under  the  command  of  General  Wil- 
liam Ilcm-y  Harrison,  afterward  president 
of  the  Ignited  States.  He  died  when  about 
.eighty  years  of  age.  In  1811,  the  year  fol- 
lowing his  marriage,  Mr.  Lingo  and  his  wife 
removed  to  Missouri.  They  went  up  the 
Mississippi  river  in  what  was  known  as  a 
keel  boat  and  stopped  at  St.  Louis,  which 
was  then  a  small  village,  inhabited  mostly 
by  French  and  Spaniards.  During  their  so- 
joiu'n  in  Missouri  they  lived  a  ])art  of  the 
time  in  St.  Charles  county  and  the  remainder 
in  St.  Louis  county.  Much  of  the  time  they 
were  in  great  peril  on  account  of  the  hostile 
Indians,  who  would  often  kill  whole  fami- 
lies. The  early  settlers  would  build  their 
houses  without  windows  so  that  no  light 
could  be  seen  at  night  that  might  be  a  guide 
to  the  Indi.ans.  In  1824  Mr.  Lingo  brought 
his  family  to  Illinois,  our  subject's  mother 
being  then  seven  years  of  age,  and  settled  in 
Madison  county.  They  crossed  the  river  at 
St.  Louis  in  a  ferrylx)at  propelled  by  horses. 
At  that  time  herds  of  deer  wer-e  often  seen 
on  Looking  Glass  prairie  and  the  large  num- 
ber of  wolves  made  it  dangerous  for  chil- 
dren and  even  grown  folks  to  venture  out 
alone,  especially  after  night.  Thrilling  tales 
were  told  of  people  being  torn  to  pieces  bv 


the  ferocious  woKes.  1diey  would  come 
round  the  liouses  at  night  and  cat  the  scraps 
that  were  thrown  out.  Amid  such  surround- 
ings Mrs.  Claussen  grew  to  womanhood. 
Iler  father  died  August  11,  1835,  '^'^'^  ^^^^' 
mother  passed  away  August  11,  1845. 
About  six  years  after  the  death  of  her  first 
husband  Mrs.  Claussen  married  Ira  Hewett, 
and  in  1867  thev  came  to  Christian  county, 
where  he  died  on  Christmas  day  of  that  year, 
after  twelve  years  of  married  life.  Mrs. 
Hewett  is  still  an  esteemed  resident  of  Chris- 
tian county.  She  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Baptist  church  and  has  lived  an  earnest  and 
consistent  Christian  life. 

By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Hewett  had 
nine  children  l)ut  two  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  are  as  follows  :  James  married  Louisa 
Bateman,  wdio  died  in  Jackson  county,  Illi- 
nois, April  5,  1888;  William  married  Eliza- 
beth Arthur  and  is  now  farming  in  Chris- 
tian county;  Newton  wedded  Mary  Tuber- 
man  and  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Minnesota ;  G.  B.  is  the  next  of  the  fam- 
il)' ;  Jasper  is  married  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Indian  Territory;  Alex- 
ander married  Mansey  Fanning  and  resides 
at  Scottville,  Illinois ;  and  Malvina  became 
the  wife  of  John  Yockey  and  died  January 
4,. 1885. 

G.  B.  Claussen  j^ursued  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Jefferson  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  when  twenty  years  of  age  he  went 
to  California.  Lie  afterward  made  his  way 
to  the  state  of  Washington  hut  in  1867  re- 
turned to  this  state,  establishing  his  home 
in  Christian  county,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  land.  He 
then  began  farming  and  from  time  to  time 
as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he 
has  added  to  his  property  until  he  now  has 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  well  im- 
pro\-ed    land,    constituting    one   of   the    fine 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


293 


farms  of  the  locality.  I'he  tract  was  all  raw 
and  unimproved  when  it  came  into  his  pos- 
session, but  with  characteristic  energy  he 
began  the  work  of  plowing  and  planting  and 
soon  golden  harvests  rewarded  his  labors. 
He  also  worked  for  five  years  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Wabash  Railroad  and  the 
Eaoie  Gro\e  branch  of  the  Northwestern 
Railroad,  hut  with  this  exception  he  has  ever 
given  his  attention  to  agricultural  interests, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  well  deserved  pros- 
perity. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  always  lived  with  his  mother,  caring  for 
her  in  the  evening  of  life  and  by  filial  devo- 
tion repaying  her  for  the  love  and  care  which 
she  bestowed  upon  him  in  his  youth. 


E.  A.   HUMPHREYS. 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  prom- 
inent lawyers  of  central  Illinois  ds  E.  A. 
Humphreys,  who  is  now  serving"  as  state's 
attorney  in  Pana,  filling  the  position  for  the 
second  term.  He  was  born  November  20, 
1852,  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  is  a  son 
of  E.  A.  and  Martha  J.  Humphreys.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Coventry.  England, 
born  in  182 1,  and  when  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  came  to  this  country,  settling  in  what 
is  now  New  York  city.  He  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Christian  county  in  1861,  taking  up 
his  abode  in  Pana,  where  he  followed  the 
plasterer's  trade,  which  he  liad  learned  in 
early  life.  He  died  in  this  city  and  his 
widow  is  still  living  here.  He  took  a  very 
active  and  helpful  part  in  the  upbuilding  of 
Pana,  was  a  member  of  the  city  council  and 
also  served  on  the  board  of  education.  Any- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  the  town  elicited  his  attention  and  won 
his  earnest  co-operation.  He  belonged  to 
the   Methodist   Episcopal   church   and   gave 


his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party 
until  1872,  when  he  joined  the  organization 
known  as  liberal  Republicans.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  who 
are  yet  living. 

E.  A.  Humphreys  is  indebted  to  the  pub- 
lic school  system  of  Pana  for  the  educational 
privileges    he    enjoyed.     He    was   but    nine 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  re- 
moval to  this  city  and  here  he  mastered  the 
elementary    Ijranches    of    English    learning. 
On   attaining   his    majority    he   started   out 
upon    an    independent    business   career    and 
pursued  the  study  of  law  under  the  direction 
of  the  firm  of  Kitchell  &  McMillen.     Later 
his  preceptor  was  Mr.  McMillen  and  when 
he  had  sufficiently  mastered  the  principles  of 
jurisprudence  to  pass  an  examination  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  entered   upon  the 
practice  of  law  in  Pana,  where  he  has  re- 
mained   continuously    since.       He    is    thus 
actively  connected  with  the  profession  which 
has  important  bearing  upon  the  .progress  and 
stable  |)rosperity  of  any  section  or  commun- 
ity and  one  which  has  long  been  considered 
as  conserving  the  public  w^elfare  by  further- 
ing the  ends  of  justice  ar.d  maintaining  in- 
dividual   rights.      The    favorable   judgment 
which  the  world  passed  upon  him  in  his  early 
years  has  never  been  set  aside  or  in  any  de- 
gree modified.     It  has  on  the  contrary  been 
emphasized  by  his   careful   conduct   of   im- 
portant  litigation,   his   candor   and   fairness 
in  the  presentation  of  his  cases,  his  zeal  and 
earnestness  as  an  advocate,  and  the  generous 
commendation  he  has  recei\'ed  from  his  con- 
temporaries, who  unite  in  bearing  testimony 
as  to  his  high  character  and  superior  mind. 
In    1873  he  was  elected   city  attorney  and 
that  he  proved  a  most  capable  officer  is  in- 
dicated by  the  fact  that  he  was  continued  in 
the   position  by  election   for  sixteen   years. 
In  1896  he  was  elected  state's  attorr.ey  and 


2;t4 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


was  re-elected  in  1900  for  a  second  term 
of  four  years,  so  that  he  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent in  that  office. 

Mr.  Humphreys  is  also  engaged  in  stock 
farming  and  has  one  of  the  largest  droves  of 
full-blooded  registered  English  Berkshire 
hoes  in  America.  He  also  owns  a  herd  of 
registered  Aberdeen  Angus  cattle.  He  ships 
hogs  all  over  the  central  portion  of  the  coun- 
try and  has  made  an  excellent  reputation  for 
handling  only  pure-blooded  animals.  In  this 
business  he  is  associated  with  his  son  and 
their  stock  farm,  comprising  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  is  pleasantly  and  conveni- 
ently located  near  Pana.  r^Ir.  Humphreys, 
however,  gives  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
and  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  position 
as  state's  attorney.  He  owns  considerable 
business  and  residence  property  in  Pana  in 
addition  to  his  farming  lands  and  he  has 
ever  enjoyed  quite  an  extensive  and  import- 
ant law  practice. 

In  1877  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Humphreys  and  ^Irs.  A.  C.  McMillen  and 
they  had  one  son,  Arthur,  who  is  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  stock  business.  For 
his  second  wife  Mr.  Humphreys  chose  Miss 
Clara  E.  Trower  and  they  were  married  on 
the  30th  of  September,  1809.  ^^ts. 
Humphreys  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  while  Mr.  Humphreys  has  member- 
ship relations  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Woodmen,  the.  Eraternal  Aid  Associa- 
tion, the  Fraternal  Army  and  the  Mystic 
Circle.  In  his  political  views  he  has  ever 
been  a  Democrat  and  he  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  growth  and  success  of  his  part}-, 
believing  strongly  in  its  principles.  His  pri- 
vate life  and  official  career  commend  him  to 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow-men 
and  all  who  know  him  entertain  for  him 
warm  regartl. 


ARCHIE  TILDEX  GIBSON,  M.  D. 

Ann)ng  those  who  devote  their  time  and 
energies  to  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
have  gained  a  leading  place  in  the  ranks  of 
the  profession  is  Dr.  A.  T.  Gibson,  of  Mor- 
risonville.  He  was  born  in  Bellflower,  Mc- 
Lean county,  Illinois,  on  the  23d  of  April. 
1873,  and  is  a  son  of  F.  M.  and  ^Mary  J. 
( Mc^^'illiams)  Gibson.  On  the  paternal 
side  his  grandfather  was  a  native  of  \'ir- 
ginia  and  of  Scotch  parentage.  The  family 
was  founded  in  America  in  the  early  part 
of  the  seventeenth  century  and  for  some 
years  made  their  home  in  tlie  Old  Dominion. 
Many  of  its  members  still  show  character- 
istics of  their  Scottish  ancestry.  Our  sul> 
ject's  mother  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
the  McW'illiams  family  having  come  to  this 
country  from  the  north  of  Ireland.  They 
became  loyal  citizens  of  their  adopted  land 
and  participated  in  the  Mexican  and  Civil 
wars. 

F.  N.  Gibson,  the  Doctor's  father,  was 
born  in  1834  in  Indiana  and  in  1848  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  at  Bellflower.  Having 
considerable  confidence  in  the  future  of  his 
adopted  state,  he  purchased  large  tracts  of 
land  near  that  place,  real  estate  being  then 
quite  cheap  and  as  it  was  improved  and  rose 
in  value  he  became  quite  wealthy.  He  dis- 
posed of  a  part  of  his  property  at  an  excel- 
lent profit  but  still  retains  a  portion  of  his 
land,  and  although  he  is  now  practically  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  he  still  has  charge  of  his 
landed  interests.  He  makes  his  home  in 
Bellflower.  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life  which  were 
acquired  through  former  toil.  In  his  fam- 
ily are  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  three  are  physicians,  these  being 
I.  \V..  H.  C.  and  Archie  T.,  of  this  review. 
John  D.,  another  son.  has  been  in  the  employ 
of  one  railroad  for  manv  vears  and  is  now 


A.   T.    GIBSON.    M.    D. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


297 


ticket  agent  in  Chicago,  while  Frank  M., 
the  youngest  son,  is  still  at  home  and  assists 
his  father  in  the  management  of  his  prop- 
erty. The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  suh- 
ject  was  the  architect  who  planned  the  state 
house  at  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  built  in 
1836-7,  and  it  still  stands  as  a  monument 
to  his  skill  and-  ability. 

During  his  boyhood  Dr.  A.  T.  Gibson 
spent  much  of  his  time  on  the  home  farm, 
though  he  also  lived  in  Bellflower  a  part  of 
the  time  and  had  the  advantages  of  the  city 
school.  He  completed  his  literary  education 
in  the  high  school  of  that  place  and  then 
began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  di- 
rection of  his  brother.  Dr.  J.  W.  Gibson. 
Later  he  matriculated  at  the  Barnes  Medi- 
cal College  of  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1895.  He  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Fort  Dodge. 
Iowa,  wdiere  his  skill  and  aljility  soon  won 
recognition  and  he  built  up  a  large  country 
practice,  but  having  decided  to  return  to 
Illinois,  he  located  in  Morrisonville  in  1897, 
purchasing  the  practice  of  Dr.  W.  A.  Brit- 
ton.  His  success  was  assured  from  the  start 
and  his  practice  soon  went  beyond  his  ex- 
pectations. •  He  is  undoubtedly  the  leading 
physician  of  Morrisonville,  although  there 
are  two  other  representatives  of  the  medical 
profession  at  that  place  and  his  patronage 
reaches  out  into  the  country  twelve  miles  in 
every  direction.  He  has  purchased  a  build- 
ing on  Main  street,  twenty-five  by  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-eight  feet  in  dimensions,  and 
has  fitted  it  up  as  an  office  wdth  a  reception 
room,  drug  and  consulting  room  and  an 
operating  room.  He  has  the  best  selected 
medical  library  in  the  city  and  has  all  the 
latest  improved  instruments  needed  in  his 
profession. 

The  Doctor  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views  and  has  been  alderman  of  Morrison- 


ville for  two  terms.  While  serving  in  that 
capacity  he  was  a  member  of  several  im- 
portant committees  and  always  discharged 
his  official  duties  in  a  most  creditable  and 
satisfactory  manner.  Fraternally  he  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  Lodge  of  Morrisonville,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  387,  and  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  459,  in 
which  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs.  He  is  ex- 
amining surgeon  for  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  the  iM-aternal  y\rmy,  the  Loyal 
Americans,  the  Court  of  Honor  and  the 
Royal  Neighbors.  He  has  met  with  marked 
success  in  his  ghosen  profession,  for  which 
he  is  well  fitted  l)y  nature  and  education,  and 
he  possesses  those  admirable  traits  of  char- 
acter which  make  him  a  favorite  in  the 
sick  room.  Wherever  known  he  is  held  in 
high  regard  and  has  made  a  host  of  warm 
friends  since  coming  to  Morrisonville. 


ISAAC    S.    CORZINE. 

Isaac  S.  Corzine,  wdiose  home  is  on  sec- 
tion 15,  Prairieton  township,  is  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  of  Christian  county. 
Thorough,  systematic  and  progressive,  he 
has  met  with  success  in  his  chosen  calling 
and  by  his  own  unaided  efforts  he  has  risen 
to  a  position  among  the  substantial  citizens 
of  his  community,  being  now  the  owner  of 
a  well  improved  and  valuable  farm  of  three 
hundred  acres. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  Corzine  was  born 
in  Guernsey  county,  February  8,  1861,  his 
parents  being  Allen  and  Mary  Ann  (War- 
ren) Corzine.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of 
Dutch  descent,  his  grandfather  having  come 
to  this  counti-y  from  Holland  at  an  early  day 
when  quite  young.  He  settled  in  New  York 
city  and  at  one  time  owned  sixty  acres  of 
land  along  Wall  street,  which  is  to-day  one 
of  the  most  valuable  sections  of  that  sfreat 


298 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


city.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  horn 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1816  and  (hn-ini;-  hoy- 
liood  removed  to  Guernsey  county,  Ohio, 
making-  liis  home  in  the  Buckeye  state  until 
1868,  when  he  came  to  Christian  county. 
llHnois. 

Isaac  S.  Corzine  was  Inil  seven  years  of 
age  when  he  accompanied  his  jxirents  on 
their  removal  to  this  state  and  here  he  grew 
to  manhood,  his  education  being  acquired  in 
the  ])ul)lic  schools  of  Christian  county.  On 
attaining  his  majority  he  rented  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  ft^rty  acres,  which  he  oper- 
ated (juite  successfully  for  five  years  and  in 
the  meantime  saved  enough  to  purchase  a 
farm.  He  sold  that  place  in  1887  and  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Prairieton 
township  where  he  now  resides.  As  time 
passed  he  continued  to  prosper  and  at  one 
time  owned  one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres 
of  land  near  Eagle  Grove.  Iowa,  which  he 
sold  at  the  end  of  two  years  and  then  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Wright  county,  that  state.  He  disposed  of 
the  latter  tract  a  few  years  ago  and  in  1900 
bought  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  more 
in  Prairieton  township,  this  county,  so  that 
he  now  has  three  hundred  acres  here  of  as 
fme  farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  He  has  made  all  of  the 
improvements  upon  his  place  and  they  stand 
as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

On  the  27th  of  January.  1886,  Mr.  Cor- 
zine was  united  in  m;irriage  to  Miss  Sadie 
Coffman,  a  daughter  of  James  D.  Cofifman, 
w'ho  was  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  this 
county  and  died  here  in  1885.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wdfe  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, namely :  Lela,  Edith  and  Eva,  all  at 
home  and  attending  school.  The  family 
hold  membership  in  the  Willowdale  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  are  people  of 
prominence   in   the   community   where   they 


reside.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Cor- 
zine is  a  l\e])ublic;ui  and  he  takes  an  acti\'e 
interest  in  public  affairs.  His  life  has  been 
one  of  industry  and  usefulness  and  due  suc- 
cess has  not  been  denied,  it  being  but  the 
just  reward  of  honest  labor  for  all  that  he 
has  ac(|uired  through  his  own  efforts. 


RUBEN    K.    PENCE. 

The  list  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Chris- 
tian county  contains  the  name  of  Ruben  K. 
Pence,  one  of  the  representative  and  honored 
citizens  of  Morrisonville.  He  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  development  of  the 
city  and  has  lieen  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural and  business  interests  of  the  county 
for  over  forty-four  years.  He  is  a  man  of 
recognized  ability  and  generally  carries  for- 
ward to  successful  completion  whatever  he 
undertakes. 

Mr.  Pence  w^as  born  in  Butler  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  31st  of  March,  1822,  and  in 
early  life  removed  with  his  parents  to  a 
farm  near  New  Paris,  that  state,  wdiere  he 
li\ed  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  receiving 
in  tbie  meantime  a  good  common  school  edu- 
cation. After  leaving  home  he  w'as  engaged 
in  different  enterprises  until  T850,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois.  In  1857  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Litchfield,  this  state,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Christian 
county,  locating  tw'O  miles  north  of  Mor- 
risonxille,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm.  He 
has  cut  wheat  on  the  present  town  site  of 
Morrison\ille  and  continued  to  prosper  in 
his  farming  operations  until  1888.  when  he 
l)urchascd  fifty-three  acres  of  land  adjoining 
the  city,  had  it  surveyed  and  laid  out  in 
town  lots,  forming  the  Pence  addition  to 
Morrisonville.  This  has  since  become  one 
of  the  finest  residence  portions  of  the  city 
and  here  he  now  makes  his  home. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


299 


Mr.  Pence  is  a  representative  of  an  old 
Virginian  family  and  his  grandmother  was 
closely  related  to  General  Price,  heing  a 
member  of  the  same  family.  On  the  loth 
of  May,  1848,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Pence  and  Miss  Louisa  Watts.,  a 
daughter  of  John  Watts  and  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  James  Watts.  Nine  children 
blessed  this  union,  namely :  Mrs.  C.  C. 
LeMasters  is  a  resident  of  Taylorville. 
James  M.  lives  two  miles  west  of  Morrison- 
villc  and  has  three  children,  Thomas  R.,  J. 
Randolph  and  Robert  R.  Mrs.  Daisy  D. 
Large  also  has  three  children,  Roxana. 
George  and  John.  Mrs.  F.  P.  Gordan  lives 
in  Tecumseli.  John  died  in  infancy  and 
Delia  also  died  when  small.  Calvin  K.  went 
west  and  has  never  been  heard  of  since.  Mrs. 
J.  D.  Lowis  makes  her  home  in  Morrison- 
\ille.  Mrs.  George  W.  Kerr  is  a  resident 
of  Marshall,  Oklahoma. 

Since  voting  for  General  Fremont  in  1856 
Mr.  Pence  has  supported  every  presidential 
nominee  of  the  Republican  party  but  at  local 
elections  votes  for  the  man  whom  he  be- 
lieves best  qualified  for  office,  regardless  of 
party  lines.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, being  the  oldest  Mason  in  good 
standing  in  the  county.  It  was  in  Decem- 
ber, 1846,  that  he  joined  the  order  and  has 
since  been  a  member  in  good  standing.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  chapter  in  Morrisonville. 
In  1845  he  was  made  a  member  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  was 
a  contributing  member  of  the  same  for  over 
forty  years.  He  has  lived  peaceably  with 
all  men.  having  never  had  a  lawsuit,  and  he 
has  been  a  lil>eral  contributor  to  charitable 
enterprises.  For  many  years  he  has  been  an 
active  and  consistent  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  by  his  upright 
honorable  life  he  has  gained  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  all  who  know  him.     He  is  a 


good  neighlior,  a  kind  friend  and  a  devoted 
husband  and  father.  Everything  pertaining 
to  the  public  good  receives  his  hearty  en- 
dcM'sement  and  he  is  justly  numbered  among 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  community  in 
which  he  lives. 


SAMUEL    PICKER. 

Samuel  Picker,  dealer  in  clothing  and 
men's  furnishing  goods  in  Assumption, 
stands  as  a  type  of  the  representative  Ameri- 
can citizen  who  owes  his  advancement  to 
Ills  own  efforts,  and  who,  despite  the  fact 
that  there  are  many  obstacles  and  difficulties 
to  l)e  encountered  in  the  business  world  reso- 
lutely set  to  work  to  achieve  prosperity,  and 
has  ach-anced  to  a  \'ery  enviable  position  in 
trade  circles  in  his  adopted  county. 

Mr.  Picker  was  born  in  Russian  Poland, 
May  23,  1873,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Ada 
Picker.  The  mother  died  in  her  native 
country  when  the  son  was  but  eleven  vears 
of  age  and  he  then  started  out  to  make  his 
own  living  and  has  come  off  conqueror  in 
the  world's  broad  field  of  battle.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  emigrated  to  America,  paying 
his  passage  with  what  he  had  saved  from  a 
weekly  salary  of  fifty  cents.  He  had  heard 
very  favorable  reports  concerning  opportuni- 
ties in  the  new  world  and  has  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  the  step  he  took  in  1888. 
Landing  in  New  York  he  at  once  sought 
employment,  entering  the  service  of  the  Wal- 
ler Shirt  &  Pants  Company,  in  which  house 
he  remained  for  two  years,  during  which 
time  he  learned  the  cutter's  trade.  In  1890 
he  came  to  the  west  and  worked  at  various 
points  in  Illinois.  Lie  arrived  in  Assump- 
tion in  1897  with  a  capital  of  eighty  dollars, 
Ijut  he  possessed  thorough  business  ability, 
is  methodical  in  his  habits  and  correct  in  his 
judgments.     Here    he    opened    a    "racket" 


300 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


store  in  the  Commercial  block  unci  after  a 
few  months  removed  to  the  old  Armstrong 
building  on  South  Front  street,  where  he 
remained  until  high  rentals  caused  him  to 
remove  to  the  building  on  the  opposite  cor- 
ner now  occupied  by  the  bank.  This  "was 
in  1898  and  in  1900  the  building  was  de- 
manded for  banking  purposes. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Picker's  business 
had  grown  to  such  proportions  that  he  re- 
moved to  a  store  two  doors  north  of  the  Illi- 
nois State  Bank — the  site  of  his  present  lo- 
cation. There  in  November,  1901,  together 
with  a  large  numl)er  of  the  other  business 
men  of  Assumption,  he  suffered  a  heavy  loss 
by  fire,  his  entire  stock  being  destroyed. 
However,  the  building  was  quickly  replaced 
'but  even  before  that  time  Mr.  Picker  had 
opened  up  a  small  stock  in  the  east  room  of 
the  Columbia  Block  on  First  street.  There 
he  remained  until  September  7,  1902,  when 
he  was  again  able  to  occupy  the  North  Front 
street  store,  where  he  is  now  to  be  found. 
Mr.  Picker  is  a  very  successful  and  enter- 
prising business  man.  His  knowledge  of  the 
real  worth  of  materials  enables  him  to  buy 
advantageously  and  to  sell  at  a  profit  that 
is  fair  alike  to  the  customer  and  the  mer- 
chant. His  business  has  annually  grown  and 
developing  from  small  proportions  has  be- 
come one  of  the  leading  mercantile  concerns 
of  the  city. 

On  the  30th  of  ]\Iay,  1894.  Mr.  Picker 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie 
Lewis,  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of 
H.  and  Molly  Lewis,  the  former  a  merchant 
of  Springfield.  They  now  have  three  bright 
and  interesting  children  :  Edna,  Paul  and 
Reta. 

While  America  is  the  home  of  the  "self- 
made  man,"  rto  less  credit  and  honor  is  due 
the  individual  because  he  is  one  of  a  large 
class,  on  the  contrary  we  should  be  proud 


that  the  advantages  of  America  are  such  as 
draw  to  her  shores  men  of  ambition,  reso- 
lution and  energy,  men  who  advance  in  the 
business  world  and  at  the  same  time  become 
loyal,  i)rogressive  citizens,  doing  much  for 
the  substantial  improvement  and  develop- 
ment of  the  localities  in  which  they  reside. 
Such  a  one  is  Mr.  Picker,  who  only  about 
fifteen  years  ago  was  a  poor  boy,  landing  on 
the  shores  of  the  new  world  without  capi- 
tal. To-day  he  stands  among  the  well-to-do 
and  respected  residents  of  Assumption.  He 
was  one  of  nine  children  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  who  was  drowned  in  child- 
hood, all  reached  years  of  maturity  and  the 
six  sons  were  left  to  battle  with  the  world 
at  an  early  age.  David,  the  eldest,  is  mar- 
ried and  lives  in  New  York,  where  he  is 
connected  with  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company.  Louis  is  also  married  and  lives 
in  New  York.  Victor  is  married  and  is 
machinist  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  at  Clinton,  Illinois.  Myron 
and  Osup  are  graduate  druggists  of  New 
York,  obtaining  their  diplomas  by  studying 
evenings.  It  is  certainly  a  creditable  family 
record. 


HON.    RUFUS   M.   POTTS. 

The  life  record  (jf  the  Hon.  Rufus  M. 
Potts  stands  in  contradistinction  to  the  old 
adage  that  a  prophet  is  never  without  honor 
save  in  his  own  country,  for  the  subject  of 
this  review  is  a  native  son  of  the  county  in 
which  he  has  directed  the  efforts  of  his 
career.  He  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
September  3,  1870,  and  has  back  of  him  an 
ancestry,  honorable  and  distinguished.  In 
the  paternal  line  he  comes  of  \Velsh  descent. 
His  Qreat-"reat-grand  father  was  David 
Potts,  a  famous  general  of  the  English 
Armv.     The  familv  was  established  on  this 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


301 


side  of  the  water  at  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  the  country  and  Joel  Potts, 
the  grandfather  of  the  Judge,  having  be- 
come a  pioneer  of  the  west,  served  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war  of  1832.  Two  of  the 
uncles  of  the  Judge  were  valiant  defenders 
of  the  LInion  cause  in  the  Civil  war  and  the 
family  has  ever  been  noted  for  brave  and 
loyal  defense  of  country  and  of  principle. 
The  first  representative  of  the  name  in 
America  became  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania 
and  founded  the  town  of  Pottsville  in  that 
state.  Later  his  descendants  removed  to 
Kentucky  and  thence  came  to  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  where  representatives  of  the 
name  have  since  been  found  and  in  public 
affairs  here  they  have  borne  an  important 
and  helpful  part. 

In  the  maternal  line  Tudsfe  Potts  comes  of 
ancestry  equally  honorable.  His  grand- 
father, Colonel  Preston  Langley,  was  a  dis- 
tinguished pioneer  and  influential  citizen  of 
Kentucky  and  when  Illinois  was  still  a  fron- 
tier district  he  came  to  this  state,  locating  in 
Christian  county,  where  the  Langleys  have 
since  been  worthy  citizens. 

When  cjuite  young  Judge  Potts  lost  his 
mother  by  death.  The  father  was  a  man 
of  considerable  wealth  but  the  son  did  not 
profit  much  by  this  fact  as  the  father  was 
engaged  in  adding  to  his  possessions  rather 
than  in  assisting  the  Judge  to  enjoy  ad- 
vantages, educational  and  otherwise,  which 
his  means  might  have  secured.  The  l:)ov  at- 
tended the  public  schools  and  early  mani- 
fested the  elemental  strength  of  his  char- 
acter. He  realized  early  the  fact  that  there 
is  no  excellence  without  labor  and  that  there 
is  no  royal  road  to  wealth.  He  soon  de- 
veloped industry  and  a  laudable  ambition, 
which  was  guided  by  sound  judgment  and 
supplemented  by  persistency  of  purpose. 
Wishing  to  enjoy  better  educational  privi- 


leges than  were  afforded  by  the  common 
schools,  he  pursued  a  classical  course  of 
study  and  then  continued  the  acquirement  of 
knowledge, — but  this  time  along  a  more  spe- 
cific line,  as  he  had  determined  to  make  the 
])ractice  of  law  his  life  work.  Accordingly 
he  became  a  student  in  the  law  office  and 
under  the  direction  of  the  firm  of  Palmer, 
Schutt  &  Drennan,  of  Springfield.  He  ap- 
plied himself  assiduously  to  the  mastery  of 
the  principles  of  jurisprudence  and  when  he 
had  become  familiar  with  many  of  the  lead- 
ing principles  of  law  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  but  he  continued  to  remain  with  his 
preceptors  for  a  few  years  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  himself  to  be  able  to  impart 
in  the  courtroom  what  he  had  learned  from 
his  books.  Being  a  great  admirer  of  Gov- 
ernor Palmer  and  his  private  secretary  when 
a  law  student,  he  partook  of  the  Governor's 
forcible  style  of  arguing  a  case  in  court  or 
a  question  on  the  stump,  thus  winning  for 
himself  a  leading-  position  at  the  bar  and 
also  high  rank  as  a  platform  orator. 

On  leaving  Springfield  Judge  Potts  took 
up  his  abode  in  Taylorville  and  opening  an 
oflice  had  not  long  to  await  a  good  clientele. 
No'  dreary  noviate  lay  before  him,  for  al- 
most at  once  he  demonstrated  his  ability  in 
such  a  way  as  to  gain  a  fair  share  of  the 
legal  business  of  the  district.  It  is  said  that 
he  has  as  many  if  not  more  clients  than  any 
lawyer  in  central  Illinois,  and  yet  he  has  not 
acquired  wealth  as  rapidly  as  many.  The 
law  is  his  profession,  and  while  he  has  the 
laudable  ambition  to  win  success  and  thus 
provide  well  for  his  family,  he  is,  as  every 
true  lawyer  should  be,  the  exponent  of  jus- 
tice and  the  conservator  of  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  the  people.  Many  times  he  has 
Ijeen  known  not  only  to  take  charge  of.  a 
case  in  which  he  expected  no  pecuniary  re- 
ward, but  also  to  personally  supply  the  costs 


302 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


for  the  suit.  ITc  never  enters  npon  a  case 
unless  be  lias  llrni  belief  in  tbe  justice  of  bis 
client's  suit,  and  it  is  customary  for  bini  to 
advise  all  clients  and  friends  of  bis  to  settle 
tbeir  controversies  outside  of  court  if  pos- 
sible. .\  contemporary  publication  in  speak- 
iup-  of  this  cbaracteristic  of  the  Indite  said: 
This  was  conspicuously  noticeable  during 
the  late  troubles  at  Pana.  When  called  on 
by  the  miners  for  legal  advice  Judge  Potts 
said:  "Boys,  keep  out  of  court,  if  possible." 
And  be  left  w  itb  them  for  Pana,  where  he 
addressed  a  large  mass  meeting  of  excited 
and  indignant  citizens,  who  were  ready  for 
any  emergency  and  if  left  to  their  own  in- 
clinations would  ha\e  precipitated  troubles 
requiring  almost  endless  litigation  and  large 
attorney  fees.  The  Judge  saw  and  knew 
this.  However,  instead  of  talking  for  his 
own  financial  interest  he  addressed  them 
calmly,  cautiously  and  with  such  force  and 
power  as  to  carry  them  with  him  to  a  peace- 
able solution  of  the  question,  winning  for 
himself  a  lasting  place  in  the  heart  of  every 
miner  and  laboring  man  in  Illinois. 

The  legal  ability  and  loyalty  in  citizenship 
of  Judge  Potts  won  him  the  nomination  for 
judge  of  the  ])rol)ate  court  of  Christian 
county  and  he  was  a  candidate  at  the  time 
of  tbe  inauguration  of  the  Spanish-Ameri- 
can war.  The  l)lood  of  valiant  soldiers 
flowed  in  his  veins  and  his  ow-n  patriotic 
spirit  being  aroused  be  at  once  resigned  the 
nomination,  tendered  his  services  to  Gov- 
ernor Tanner  and  assisted  to  recruit  tbe  regi- 
ment commanded  by  Bluford  Wilson.  He 
was  elected  major  of  the  first  l)attalion,  but 
in  the  meantime  the  central  committee  had 
determined  not  to  accept  his  resignation  of 
the  nomination  and  although  it  was  expected 

he  would  leave  for  the  scene  of  hostilities  at 
any  moment  he  was  elected  probate  judge, 

and  served  his  term. 


Judge  Potts  was  united  in  marriage  in 
1895  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  R.  Grunewaldt,  a 
dau"-hter  of  Otto  Grunewaldt,  one  of  *he 
leading  business  men  of  Springfield.  The 
young  couple  have  many  warm  friends  in 
Taylorville  and  the  surrounding  district  and 
he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  through- 
out  the  state  on  account  of  the  prominent 
part  he  has  taken  in  political  circles  and  be- 
cause of  his  marked  ability  in  his  profes- 
sion. Soon  after  his  election  to  the  bench 
of  the  probate  court  he  was  elected  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Illinois  County  and  Probate 
Judges'  Association — a  fact  which  indicates 
his  standing  with  the  profession.  He  is  yet 
a  young  man  and  has  attained  distinction 
that  a  man  of  twice  his  years  might  well 
envy.  This  is  due  to  his  inherent  force  of 
character,  his  improvement  of  opportunity.. 
his  strong  purpose,  his  unfaltering  fidelity 
to  principle  and  his  allegiance  to  the  public 
good. 


HENRY  C  BOLLINGER. 

Henry  C.  Bollinger,  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing farmers  of  Stonington  township,  living 
on  section  15,  is  a  native  of  Maryland,  his 
birth  having  occurred  fourteen  miles  from 
Baltimore  in  Baltimore  county,  on  the  31st 
of  July.  1857.  His  parents  were  Ephraim 
and  Mary  Ann  (Strewig)  Bollinger,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Maryland.  The 
father  was  a  millwright  and  carpenter  and 
in  1869  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  w^as 
connected  with  building  operations  as  a  con- 
tractor. He  also  engaged  in  farming  to 
some  extent  and  he  erected  all  of  the  build- 
ings upon  the  old  home  place.  Being  an 
excellent  workman,  bis  services  were  con- 
tinually in  demand  as  a  carpenter  and  he 
thus,  provided  a  good  living  for  his  family. 
He  was  killed  in  Stonington  while  crossing 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


303 


the  Wabash  Raih"oad  tracks  l)y  a  fast  train 
January  18,  1893,  and  his  wife  survived 
him  until  1899,  when  she  was  also  called  to 
her  final  rest. 

H.  C.  Bollinger  Ijegan  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Maryland  and  was 
about  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  Here  he  also 
attended  school  to  some  extent,  but  through 
the  months  of  summer  his  attention  was 
given  to  farming  work  as  he  assisted  his 
father  in  the  operation  of  the  homestead 
farm.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  rent- 
ing forty  acres  of  land.  His  excellent  busi- 
ness ability  and  capable  management  won 
him  success  during  the  first  year  and  so  en- 
couraged him  that  in  the  second  vear  he 
rented  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  he  operated  for  two  years.  In 
that  time  he  managed  to  save  considerable 
money,  which  he  invested  in  eighty  acres  of 
raw  land  and  to  this  at  a  later  date  he  added 
a  tract  of  twenty  acres.  This  constitutes 
his  present  farm,  which  is  a  good  property, 
well  improved  with  modern  equipments.  He 
has  erected  all  of  the  buildings  u]wn  his 
place,  has  divided  the  farm  into  fields  of 
convenient  size  by  well  kept  fences,  has  se- 
cured modern  farming  implements  and  ma- 
chinery in  order  to  facilitate  his  work  and 
in  fact  has  a  place  supplied  with  snlendid  ac- 
cessories and  conveniences.  His  is  alto- 
gether one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  this 
portion  of  the  county  and  the  owner  is 
classed  with  the  most  progressive  agricul- 
turists here. 

On  the  22(\  of  March.  1883,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bollinger  and 
Miss  Keziah  Coffey,  a  daughter  of  Newton 
and  Martha  (Vermillion)  Coffey,  both  of 
Avhom  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The 
father  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and  on 


his  removal  to  Illinois  settled  in  Christian 
county,  where  he  continued  his  pastoral 
work,  preaching  in  many  districts  of  this 
county.  His  influence  was  far-reaching  and 
beneficial  and  proved  a  potent  element  in  the 
moral  development  of  the  community.  He 
died  of  heart  trouble  when  on  the  train  on 
his  way  to  Iowa  in  1890.  His  widow  still 
survives,  making  her  home  in  Iowa.  The 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bollinger  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children:  Mary  E.,  born 
January  2,  1884;  Jessie  E.,  born  December 
3.  1886;  Henry  E.,  February  4,  1890;  and 
Willis  M.,  born  October  22,  1891.  All  the 
children  are  still  under  the  parental  roof 
and  their  parents  have  every  reason  to  be 
proud  of  them.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Reformed  church  of  Stonington,  Illi- 
nois, and  our  subject  and  his  wife  hold  a 
very  enviable  position  in  the  regard  of  many 
friends. 


FLORIN  NEU. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  and  ener- 
getic business  men  of  Pana  is  Florin-  Neti, 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  F.  Neu  & 
Son,  proprietors  of  an  up-to-date  grocery  at 
the  corner  of  Third  and  South  Locust 
streets.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
July  17,  1833.  a  son  of  Henry  and  Kath- 
arine Neu.  in  whose  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, those  still  living  being  Florin;  Jacob, 
a  resident  of  Springfield,  Illinois ;  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Neu.  Peter  and  Emma  are  de- 
ceased, both  having  died  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  where  the  death  of  the  parents 
also  occurred. 

In  his  native  land  Florin  Neu  grew  to 
manhood  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Germany.  For  two  years  and  a 
half  he  served  in  the  Prussian  army  and  be- 
fore coming  to  the  new  world  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade.     It  was  in  1856  that  he 


304 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


emierated  to  America  and  made  his  liome  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  there  working-  at  his 
trade  for  four  years.  In  i860  he  came  to 
Christian  county,  Illinois,  and  settled  at 
Pana,  w  liicli  was  then  a  small  village.  Here 
he  engaged  in  blacksm'ithing  for  a  number 
of  years,  ha\ing  a  shop  of  his  own.  In 
1875.  on  his  retirement  from  that  occupa- 
tion, he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business  in 
a  small  way.  but  as  his  trade  Increased  he 
enlarged  his  stock  and  in  1892  erected  a 
substantial  block,  known  as  the  Neu  block, 
where  he  now  does  an  extensive  business. 
His  son  Harry  has  been  admitted  to  a  part- 
nership in  the  enterprise  and  the  firm  of  F. 
Neu  &  Son  is  now  numbered  among  the 
leading  grocers  of  the  city.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  Harry  began  to  aid  in  the 
store  and  it  was  not  long  ere  he  had  thor- 
oughly mastered  the  business  in  all  its  de- 
tails. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1868,  Mr.  Neu 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Gertrude 
Ott.  She  w^as  born  in  Baden,  German\, 
January  6.  1846,  and  was  about  seven  years 
of  age  wdien,  in  1853,  she  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents,  F.  S.  and  Anna 
Mary  (Brecht)  Ott,  the  trip  being  made  on 
a  sailing  vessel.  The  family  first  located  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  in  1857  came  to  Chris- 
tian county,  Blinois.  Mr.  Ott  secured  a  po- 
sition as  watchman  at  the  depot  in  Pana  and 
made  his  home  at  this  ]3lace  until  called  to 
his  final  rest  in  1890.  His  wife  died  in 
1888.  Mrs.  Neu  is  their  only  child.  She 
was  educated  in  the  first  school  house  erected 
in  Pana,  it  being  located  on  Commercial 
alley,  and  her  teacher  was  Miss  Bull.  Unto 
]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Neu  have  been  born  nine  chil- 
dren, namely :  Harry,  who  is  in  business 
with  his  father;  Flora,  at  home;  Clara,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Pana  high  school  and 
has  pursued  a  business  course  at  Decatur; 


Jennie,  also  a  high  school  graduate ;  Lilly, 
who  after  completing  the  high  school  course 
attended  the  state  normal  and  is  now  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  teaching;  Walter,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months ;  Gertrude, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years ;  Caroline, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  three  and  a  half 
years ;  Edmond,  who  is  now  a  student  in  the 
high  school  and  is  making  a  special  study  of 
history.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  Pana,  its  members  being  widely  and  fa- 
vorably known.  For  about  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neu  have  resided  at  their 
present  home  and  its  hospitable  doors  are 
ever  open  to  their  many  friends.  They  are 
members  of  the  German  Evangelical  church 
and  Mr.  Neu  is  also  connected  with  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen.  His  suc- 
cess in  life  is'  due  entirely  to  his  own  well 
directed  etTorts  and  he  commands  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  with  \\'hom  he  is 
brought  in  contact,  either  in  business  or  so- 
cial life.    ■ 


J.  H.  SOLLIDAY. 

J.  H.  Solliday.  now  deceased,  was  for 
long  years  a  farmer  of  Christian  county  and 
through  his  well  directed  business  efforts  he 
attained  success.  He  also  gained  the  w^arm 
regard  of  tlie  public  which  is  ever  given  in 
recognition  of  an  honorable,  upright  career. 
He  was  born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsyl- 
xania.  on  the  loth  of  March,  1837,  and  was 
a  son  of  Jacob  G.  and  Mary  Solliday,  who 
on  leaving  the  Keystone  state  removed  to 
Ohio.  At  a  later  day  they  became  residents 
of  Illinois,  but  subsequently  returned  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  their  last  days  were 
passed. 

Mr.  Solliday  of  this  review  acquired  his 
education  in  the  jmblic  and  high  schools  of 
Ohio  and  entered  upon  his  business  career 
as  a  bookkeeper  and  salesman  in  a  store  in 


J.   H.  SOLLIDAY 


MRS.  J.   H.  SOLLIDAY 
ELIAS  HOLBEN  ANGELINE  GRAGG 


MRS.  THOMAS  E.   GRAGG 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


309 


Se\ille,  that  state.  Later  he  was  employed 
in  a  similar  capacity  in  W'adsworth,  Ohio, 
for  three  years.  In  early  manhood,  desiring 
a  companion  and  helpmate  tor  life's  journey, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Angeline 
Holben,  a  daughter  of  Elias  and  Alargaret 
H\)ll)en.  Her  father  was  linrn  in  New  York 
and  her  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Coming-  to  Illinois  he  spent  his  last 
days  in  this  state.  d}ing  January  4,  ic)04. 
at  Taylorxille.  and  was  buried  in  drove  City 
cemetery.  His  wife  died  and  was  buried 
in  Ohi(_). 

Mrs.  Solliday  was  l)orn  in  Ohio,  March 
ly,  1840,  and  her  marriage  was  celebrated 
on  the  16th  of  November,  i860.  In  the 
spring  of  the  following  year  the  young- 
couple  started  fcr  Illinois.  Eventually  they 
reached  Illiopolis,  this  state,  from  which 
])lace  tiiey  had  to  walk  to  Mount  Auburn. 
They  established  their  home  near  Grove  City 
and  Mr.  Solliday,  during  the  early  period 
of  his  residence  in  Illinois,  assisted  his  father 
in  paying  for  his  farm,  after  which  he  pur- 
chased for  himself  a  tract  of  land  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Stonino;ton  town- 
ship.  Christian  county.  Later  he  added 
forty  acres  more  and  afterward  an  addi- 
tional tract  of  eighty  acres.  A\'hen  he 
started  out  upon  an  independent  business 
career  here  he  had  nothing  but  a  horse  and 
this  died  not  long  afterward.  As  the  years 
ad\anced,  however,  he  prospered  in  his  un- 
dertakings for  he  allowed  no  difficulty  or 
obstacle  to  discourage  him  and  worked  his 
way  upward,  his  inrhistry  and  perseverance 
at  length  meeting  gratifying  .success.  The 
home  farm  now  comprises  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  very  fine  land,  all  of  which  is 
well  improved. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solliday  were  born 
the  following  children  :  Rollen  E.,  who  was 
a  graduate  of  the  Gem  City  Business  Col- 
17 


lege  at  Ouincv,  Illinois,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years;  X'ictorine.  who  mar- 
ried J.  1).  Hackenbcrg  in  1885  and  is  now 
living  in  May  townshi]),  where  her  husband 
is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising; 
I^lla  H.,  who  in  1893  l>ecame  the  wife  of 
T.  E.  Gregg,  the  present  ]K)stniastcr  of  Ston- 
ington;  Edson  P.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
six  months;  Eben  O.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  nine  months;  R.  J.,  who  was  married  in 
1894  to  Alay  Simpson,  a  daughter  of  John 
Simpson  of  Rosamond  township,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  stock  and  man- 
aging the  home  farm  i:iear  Stonington ; 
M.  H.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  JefYerson 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  now  the  leading  physician  of 
Owaneco,  Illinois;  and  i\ngelene  M.,  who 
in  1900  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  \A\  J.  Sal- 
ing,  of  Stonington. 

Mr.  Solliday  \vas  a  Democrat  in  his  po- 
litical afhliations  and  took  a  \ery  prominent 
and  active  part  in  local  affairs,  holding  many 
township  of^fices.  For  twenty-three  years  he 
served  as  commissioner  of  his  township  and 
was  in  office  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
died  July  12,  1890,  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him  for  his  had  been  an  honorable 
and  upright  character.  Mrs.  Solliday  still 
sur\i\-es  her  husband  and  she  and  her  chil- 
dren'are  all  members  of  the  Reformed 
church.  She  owns  in  vStonington  a  nice 
modern  residence  of  eight  rooms  situated 
upon  a  lawn  covering  a  half  block  of 
ground.  To  her  Imsband  slie  was  ever  a 
faithful  companion  a.nd  assistant  on  life's 
journey  and  the  relation  which  existed  be- 
tween them  was  a  most  congenial  one. 


CYRUS  A.  POTTS. 

Cyrus  A.  Potts,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  in  Taylorville.  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  Christian  county.     Pie  is  a 


310 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


son  of  Cieorire  f).  I'ntts  and  a  grandson  of 
Joel  Potts.  The  latter  ^vas  a  nati\e  of  Ken- 
tucky and  l)ecanie  an  early  settler  of  Cass 
county.  Illinois.  Sul)se(juently  he  removed 
to  Christian  county,  settling"  in  I'aylorville 
townshi]).  in  1^50.  There  he  followed  farm- 
ing until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1898. 
when  he  was  ahout  eighty-seven  years  of 
age.  his  hirth  having-  occurred  in  181 1.  In 
early  manhood  he  married  Sarah  E.  Bliz- 
zard, who  was  horn  Decemher  22,  1818. 
and  died  November  28,  1848.  Idieir  chil- 
dren were  jVIrs  Maria  E.  Davis,  Nathan  C, 
George  D  and  Cyrus  A. 

George  D.  Potts  was  horn  July  17,  1845. 
in  Cass  county,  Illinois,  and  obtained  his 
education  in  Christian  county.  He  has  made 
farming  his  life  work,  and  now  resides  on 
the  old  home  place  in  Taylorville  township, 
where  he  has  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  many  years.  He  married  Lenora 
A.  Langley.  a  daughter  of  Robert  P.  Lang- 
ley.  Her  hirth  occurred  in  Taylor\-ille  town- 
ship. Ai>ril  J/.  1848,  and  she  died  on  the 
14th  of  August.  1876.  leaxing  hnn  children: 
William  A.,  who  resides  at  Pekin,  Illinois; 
Rufus  ]\I..  who  is  an  attorney  of  Taylor- 
ville: Cyrus  A.,  of  Taylorville:  and  Demp- 
ster O.,  who  is  also  practicing  law  in  this 
city.  'J'he  father  was  again  married  on  the 
1 8th  of  November,  1877.  his  second  union 
being  with  Sarah  E.  hdinn.  ^\•h()  was  born 
in  Sangamon  county.  Illinois.  February  24. 
1856,  a  daughter  of  William  Flinn.  Their 
children  are  Tony  R.  and  Lineal  O. 

Cyrus  A.  Pc^tts  was  born  in  Taylorville 
township,  January  18.  1873.  ])ursued  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  of  Taylor- 
ville township,  and  throughout  his  active 
business  career  has  resided  in  this  citv.  fie 
followed  abstracting  and  niaj)  work  for 
about  ten  years  and  since  1900  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business,  handling 


much  \ahnble  ])roperty.  and  negotiating 
in:ni\'  im])ortant  real  estate  transfers.  He 
has  a  thorough  knowledge  concerning  prop- 
erty \ahies  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and 
secured  a  good  clientage  in  his  line,  so  that 
his  bu.siness  has  now  reached  profitable  pro- 
]  portions. 

In  1897,  -Mr.  Potts  was  united  in  mar- 
ri:ige  to  Miss  Alay  Scarr,  a  druighter  of 
Nicholas  Scarr,  of  Monroeville  Indiana, 
and  unto  them  have  been  Ijorn  a  son  and 
daughter:  Russell  A.  and  ^lary  M.  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Potts  are  well  known  in  Taylor- 
\ille.  and  are  held  in  verv  favorable  regard. 
His  political  support  is  given  the  Democ- 
racy, and  in  matters  of  citizenshin  he  seeks 
the  welfare  and  promotion  of  town  and 
countv. 


P.  O.  DULLER. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of 
the  well  known  firm  of  Miller  Brothers,  who 
are  now  conducting  the  only  meat  market  in 
Morrisonxille.  It  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
plete and  best  ecjuipped  markets  in  the 
C(nmty.  The  firm  do  their  own  slaughter- 
ing and  kill  on  an  average  of  seven  or  eight 
beeves  and  as  many  hogs  per  week.  They 
ha\e  every  facility  for  keeping  the  meat. 
haxing  two  large  patented  refrigerators 
holding  six  thousand  pounds  of  ice,  which 
w  ill  last  them  a  week. 

P.  O.  Miller  was  born  in  Macoupin 
county,  Illinois,  in  1865.  and  is  the  second 
of  three  brothers,  whose  parents  were  Jo- 
seph and  Lucy  Miller.  His  boyhood  and 
youth  were  spent  upon  a  farm  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age  and  his  education  was  ac- 
(|uire<l  in  the  common  schools  near  his  home. 
He  then  started  out  to  make  his  own  wa}"  in 
the  world  and  was  first  engaged  in  clerking 
in  Kansas.  Later  he  worked  in  a  grain  ele- 
\ator  for  three  months,  but  not  likine  that 


i 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


31  i 


state  he  returned  to  Illinois  at  the  end  of 
that  time  and  has  since  resided  in  Morrison- 
ville.  For  several  years  he  continued  to 
make  his  home  Avith  his  father,  in  the  mean- 
time being  employed  at  A-arious  occupations 
In  1891  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness under  the  firm  name  of  Miller  &  Clek- 
ner,  but  sold  his  interest  a  year  and  a  half 
later  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  grain 
trade,  being  employed  in  an  elevator  for 
five  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for 
machinery  and  met  with  most  excellent  suc- 
cess in  that  undertaking,  becoming  second 
in  amount  of  sales  made  among  the  many 
salesmen  employed  by  the  firm  in  this  state^ 
In  1900  he  and  his  brother  purchased  the 
meat  market  of  Dry  Brothers  at  Morrison- 
ville  and  have  since  successfully  carried  on 
the  business,  their  trade  constantly  increas- 
ing. 

In  June,  1893,  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss 
Jennie  D.  Herdman.  a  daughter  of  A.  B. 
Herdman.  Since  attaining  his  majority  he 
has  afiiliated  with  the  Democratic  party  and 
l>as  served  as  township  treasurer  for  six 
years,  still  holding  that  office.  No  other 
man  in  the  county  has  held  a  similar  posi- 
tion for  so  many  consecutive  years.  Mr 
Miller  is  president  of  the  Opera  House  As- 
sociation and  has  charge  of  their  building. 
He  has  served  other  associations  in  the  same 
capacity  and  stands  high  in  business  circles. 


W.  M.  DALBEY. 


A\'.  M.  Dalbey  is  one  of  the  extensive 
landowners  of  Taylorville  township,  having 
finu'  hundred  acres  of  land  on  which  he 
raises  stock  for  the  market.  To  this  busi- 
ness he  has  devoted  his  energies  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  his  efforts  have  been  fol- 
lowed with  excellent  resYdts,  so  that  he  is 


now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  was  liorn  near  C^olumbus, 
Ohio,  in  1838,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Emaline 
Dalbey,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. In  the  year  1826  the  father  removed 
to  the  Buckeye  state,  where  l)oth  he  and  his 
wife  remained  until  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond, when  well  advanced  in  years. 

Mr.  Dalbey,  of  this  review,  was  reared  in 
the  state  of  his  nativity  and  to  "its  public 
school  svstem  he  is  indebted  for  the  educa- 
tional  privileges  he  received.  He  owes  to 
his  parents  good  training  in  habits  of  life 
that  tend  to  make  an  upright  character.  In 
the  fall  of  1862  he  came  to  Illinois,  whither 
his  brothers  had  preceded  him.  He  had 
been  a  student  in  the  district  schools  of  Ohio 
until  fourteen  years  of  age  and  after  that  he 
ga\'e  his  attention  to  the  cattle  business,  buy- 
ing and  selling  stock  in  his  native  state  until 
his  removal  to  the  west.  Here  he  again  fol- 
lowed this  pursuit  until  twenty-nine  years 
of  age,  when  feeling  that  his  education  was 
not  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  take  the  place 
he  desired  in  the  business  world  he  entered 
the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware, 
Ohio,  in  which  he  spent  three  years  as  a  stu- 
dent. While  there  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Delta  Tau  Delta  fraternity.  On  com- 
pleting- his  college  v.ork  he  returned  to  this 
state,  where  he  again  took  up  the  cattle  busi- 
ness. Throughout  his  career  as  an  active 
factor  in  agricultural  circles,  he  has  raised 
stock  for  the  market  and  has  found  this  a 
profitable  source  of  income,  because  he  is 
an  excellent  judge  of  stock  and  is  therefore 
enabled  to  make  judicious  purchases  and 
good  sales.  In  1872  he  rented  a  farm  in 
the  western  i^art  of  the  county  and  continued 
to  reside  thereon  until  1883,  when  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  home,  where  he  now 
owns  four  hundred  acres. 

In    1875  Mr.  Dalbey  was  united  in  mar- 


312 


['AST   AND  PRESENT 


riage  t<i  Miss  Man-  Hall,  wli"  was  boni  on 
the  farm  where  they  now  reside.  Slie  is  a 
(laughter  of  Dixon  I  hill,  who  emii^rated 
from  A'ir.^inia  to  Christian  eonnty.  Illinois, 
in  iS^v  She  is  also  a  nieee  of  William 
Mall,  jxipnlarly  known  as  Tnele  IhUy.  who 
was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  i)or- 
tion  of  the  state,  l^nto  Mv.  and  Mrs.  Dal- 
hey  have  heen  liorn  live  children:  Eoraine,  , 
who  is  a  i^radnate  of  the  'i'axlorville  hii;-h 
school  and  has  also  heen  a  stndent  in  the 
Ohio  W'esleyan  l^nixersity  at  Delaware, 
Ohio,  and  the  Northwestern  Tniversity  at 
I'A-anston.  Illinois,  is  now  in  Chicago  at- 
tendin"-  the  Bible  Training  School  for  ]Mis- 
sions.  Dwight  S..  who  is  living  in  Jersey- 
\ille.  Illinois,  was  gradnated  with  the  de- 
gree of  Baclielor  of  Arts  fn^n  the  Illinois 
State  University  in  rgoj.  and  for  one  year 
he  was  a  teacher  in  that  institution.  On 
December  23.  1903.  he  married  ^liss  Vir- 
ginia Lewis,  of  Jerseyville.  Mabel  Hall,  a 
graduate  of  the  Taylor\ille  high  school,  is 
now  a  freshman  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity. William  F..  is  a  member  of  the 
Taylorville  higli  school  with  the  class  of 
T906.  Louise,  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
is  a  member  of  the  class  of  i<j04  in  the  same 
school. 

Mr.  Dalbey  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  the 
I'roliibition  i)arty  and  its  ])rincii)les  and  does 
everything  in  his  ])ower  to  promote  its 
growth  and  extend  its  influence.  He  holds 
member.shi])  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  but 
is  not  actively  connected  with  the  order  at 
the  present  time.  He  is,  however,  an  inter- 
ested member  of  the  Methodist  L4MSCopal 
church  and  his  work  in  its  behalf  has  been 
effective  and  beneficial.  His  life  bas  long- 
been  imbued  with  high  moral  ])rincii)les, 
which  are  n-ianifested  in  his  straightforward 
relations  with  his  fellow  men. 


JA.MI'.S    KI'Tl'.l'.X    II  AKklXcri'ON. 

James  Keuljen  H;n'rington,  who  is  [)ro- 
jirietor  of  the  Electric  Light  (\;  Steam  Heat- 
ing IMant  in  hjlinbu-g.  one  of  the  leading 
industric-^  of  thecount\-,  was  bom  m  Taylor- 
\  ille,  Illinois,  on  the  nth  of  vSeptember,  1877. 
His  father.  ( ieorge  1'.  Harrington,  was  born 
in  Rnshville,  Illinois,  on  the  loth  of  August, 
^"849,  and  when  but  four  or  h\e  years  of 
age  remo\'e<l  with  his  parents  to  California 
■\\here  the  fannh-  lixcd  for  about  fwc  }'ears. 
( )n  the  ex])iration  of  tha.t  perit)d  they  re- 
lumed to  Rnshville  and  ^Ir.  Harrington 
was  a  resident  of  the  cit_\'  of  his  nati\-ity 
and  of  Lincoln,  Illinois,  until  about  the  time 
of  his  marriage.  He  pursued  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  public  school  and  later  was 
graduated  from  the  Lincoln  L'nixcrsity.  He 
tlien  entered  upon  a  business  career  as  a 
clerk  in  a  drug  store,  in  which  he  was  em- 
ployed for  about  one  }ear.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  entered  the  office  of 
the  firm  of  Price  &  Wilkinson,  who  were 
engaged  in  the  milling  business  in  Taylor- 
\ille,  and  remained  with  that  house  for  about 
[\\e  years.  In  1877  he  remo\-ed  to  Edin- 
burg,  w-here  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
grain  and  banking  business,  in  which  he  was 
engaged  until  (wertaken  by  linancial  dis- 
aster in  1893.  W  hile  residing  in  Edinljurg 
lie  opened  the  coal  shaft  at  the  to\vn,  built 
the  opera  house,  erected  se\eral  other  brick 
buildings  an.d  was  largely  instrumental  in 
adxancing  the  materia.l  U])building  and  l)rog- 
ress  of  his  count\-.  J'rior  to  his  failure  he 
had  interests  in  mining  \cntures  ir  Arizona. 
In  1893  he  x\-ent  to  that  state  and  operated 
his  mines  for  some  time.  He  has  since  set- 
tled his  obligations  in  iMlinb-Lirg  and  else- 
where. He  is  a  man  of  strong  character 
and  upright  ])ur])ose  and  enjoys  the  respect 
of  his  fellow-men  to  a  high  degree.  Lie 
w-as    mai'ried    in    earl\-    manhood    to    Miss 


GEORGE  P.   HARRINGTON 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


315 


Emma  J.  Wilkinson,  a  daughter  of  Reuben 
Wilkinson  of  TaylorviUe,  the  wedding 
being  celebrated  on  the  4th  of  June,  1873. 
Unto  them  were  Ijorn  hve  children,  four  of 
wlinm  are  now  lix'ing:  Essie,  the  wife  of 
John  Nelson,  of  Prescott,  Arizona,  by  whom 
she  has  five  children;  James  R.,  of  this  re- 
view; George  Erancis,  wlio  is  living  at 
Crown  King,  Arizona ;  and  Helen. 

James  R.  Harrington  pursued  h.is  educa- 
tion in  the  public  Schools  of  Edinburg  and 
in  the  Lincoln  Universitv.  He  went  with 
his  father  to  Arizona  in  1893  and  was  as- 
sociated with  him  in  his  mining  operations 
in  that  state.  In  July,  1902,  he  returned  to 
Edinbiu'g,  his  former  home,  and  became 
connected  with  the  firm  of  Brownback  & 
Company  in  the  gram  business.  He  was  in 
their  employ  for  eight  months,  after  which 
he  installed  the  electric  light  and  steam  heat- 
ing plant  in  Edinburg.  This  plant  he  is  now 
operating  and  it  is  one  of  the  important  in- 
dustries of  the  county.  It  is  well  equipped 
with  the  latest  imprc^-ed  machinery  needed 
in  such,  a  concern  and  the  business  has  se- 
cured many  patrons  and  has  entered  upon  a 
prosperous  career. 

On  the  22(1  of  September,  1897,  Mr.  Har- 
rington was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ger- 
trude A.  Brownback,  a  daughter  of  William 
H.  Brownback,  a  capitalist  and  grain  dealer 
of  Edinburg.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  two  children  but  Elrena,  the  younger, 
is  now  deceased.  She  was  born  December 
16,  1900,  and  died  on  the  13th  of  January, 
1902.  Their  little  son  Don  was  born  Sep- 
tember 26,  1898. 

Mr.  Harrington  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to 
Blueville  Lodge,  No.  647,  A.  E.  &  A.  M.  He 
has  also  taken  the  chapter  degrees  and  is 
a  member  of  El  wood  Commandery,  K.  T., 
of  Springfield,  Illinois.  He  is  also'  asso- 
ciated with  Electric  Lodge,  No.  505,  K.  P., 


and  in  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat, 
believing  that  the  j^rinciples  of  the  party 
contain  the  best  elements  of  good  ^'overn- 
ment.  A  young  man,  he  possesses  good 
business  sagacity,  keen  discrimination  and 
laudable  ambition  arid  these  are  elements 
which  ever  have  great  force  in  the  battle  of 
life  and  ultimately  result  in  winning  success. 


M.  H.  SOLLIDAY,  M.D. 

This  is  an  age  of  specialization.  The  ten- 
dency of  the  times  is  to  concentrate  one's 
energies  along  a  given  line  of  study  or  labor 
in  order  to  attain  the  highest  degree  of  per- 
fection. Dr.  Solliday  has  followed  this 
course,  and  while  he  has  a  good  knowledge 
of  the  science  of  medicine,  such  as  is  de- 
manded by  the  general  practitioner,  he  nev- 
ertheless devotes  his  attention  more  largely 
to  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women  and 
children  and  has  become  very  capable  as  a 
specialist. 

Dr.  Solliday  was  born  in  Stonington  town- 
ship. Christian  county,  Illinois,  on  the  8th 
of  April,  1873,  and  having  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  public  schools,  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  St.  Louis  College,  the 
University  of  Illinois,  and  Jefferson  Medical 
College  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  finished  for  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine. He  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1901,  and  received  one  year's  hospital  ex- 
perience in  the  Jefferson  Hospital,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, after  which  he  came  to  Owaneco, 
establishing  his  office  in  this  place  in  the  fall 
of  1 90 1.  Here  he  has  since  practiced  and 
although  he  follows  a  general  practice  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of  dis- 
eases of  women  and  children,  and  is  continu- 
ally promoting  his  efficiency  along  that  line 
by  reading  and  study,  consulting  the  books 


310 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


and  magazines  which  speak  authoritatively 
on  the  subject. 

Dr.  SolHday  was  married  in  1901,  the 
ladv  of  his  choice  lieing  Miss  Syl\;inia  Pflei- 
ger,  a  daughter  of  Frankhn  Ptleiger.  who  is 
a  cigar  manufacturer  of  Philadclij'hia.  Penn- 
sylvania. Mrs.  Solliday  is  an  accomplished 
musician.  She  made  a  .specialty  of  instru- 
mental music  and  took  a  thorough  course 
tor  her  own  pleasure  and  benefit  and  while 
she  is  capal)le  of  imparting  instruction  to 
others  she  has  never  followed  teaching  as  a 
profession.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  own 
their  own  home  in  Owaneco,  and  it  is 
blessed  with  the  presence  of  a  little  son. 
Monroe  Franklin.  They  are  members  of 
the  Reformed  church  and  he  l^elongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge  of  Taylorville.  His  political 
support  is  given  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Democracy,  but  he  has  never  been  an 
aspirant  for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his 
time  and  energies  to  his  business  affairs,  in 
which  he  is  meeting  with  creditable  success 
for  one  who  has  just  reached  the  third 
decade  of  life. 


J.  A.  BOWMAN. 

J.  A.  Bowman  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  in  Christian  C(nmty  and  is  one  of 
its  respected  and  honored  citizens  as  well  as 
extensive  landholders.  His  realty  posses- 
sions aggregate  twelve  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  in  this  part  of  Illinois.  He  was  born 
in  Iowa  in  1846,  the  only  child  of  Dr.  A.sa 
and  Mary  Bowman.  His  father  was  born 
in  Washington  county,  Ohio.  June  9,  1818, 
and  attended  the  common  schools  of  his 
neighborhood,  where  he  acquired  a  thorough 
education.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
began  teaching  school  and  followed  that  pro- 
fession for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  determined  to  prepare  for  the  prac- 


tice of  medicine.  For  four  or  five  years  he 
continued  his  reading  alone  and  in  1843  ^^ 
came  to  Illinois  and  profited  by  the  instruc- 
tion of  his  cousin.  Dr.  Daniel  Bowman,  who 
was  located  near  Greenfield  in  Cireene 
count V.  this  state.  For  two  vears  his  cousin 
was  his  instructor. 

In  the  meantime  Dr.  Bowman  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Bowman,  the  wed- 
ding being  celebrated  on  the  7th  of  Novem- 
ber.   1844.      In    1846  they  removed  to  Ot- 
tumwa.  Iowa,  where  the  Doctor  opened  his 
office  and  entered  upon  practice.     W^hen  two 
years  had  passed,  however,   he  resolved  to 
return  to  his  native  state  and  between  the 
years  1848  and  1853  was  a  resident  of  Ohio. 
In  the  latter  vear  he  once  more  came  to  Illi- 
nois  and  rented  a  farm  in  Greene  county. 
He  planted  his  first  crop  and  having  then 
determined  to  make  a  permanent  home  in 
this    state   he    went   to    Springfield,    where, 
through  the  land  office,  he  invested  in  three 
hundred    and    twenty    acres    in    Stonington 
township,  Christian  county.     As  his  choice 
of  a  location  fell  upon  Christian  county,  he 
cast  in  his  lot  with  its  early  settlers  of  a  half 
century  ago.      He  took  up  his  abode  near 
Stonington  in  May.    1857.  in  order  to  im- 
prove his  land,  and  in  1858  he  turned  the 
lirst  furnnv  on  the  farm  wliere  he  continued 
to  reside  until  called  to  his  final  rest.     Splen- 
did improvements  were  made  by  him  and  he 
became  the  owner  of  a   very   valuable  or- 
chard,  his   fruit   and    forest  trees   covering 
fortv-five  acres.      Although  he  engaged   in 
general  farming  for  a  long  period  he  made  a 
specialty  of   the   production   of   fruit   for   a 
number  of  years  prior  to  his  death.      His 
business  affairs  were  capably  conducted;  his 
lalx)rs  were  of  a  practical  nature;  and  he 
\\as  also  progressive  in  everything  that  he 
undertook,  so  that  as  the  years  advanced  he 
won  creditable  success.     In  politics  he  was 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS.  317 

an  earnest  Republican  for  a  number  of  years  and  Shelby  counties.  His  home  is  well 
and  afterward  became  a  supporter  of  the  equipped  with  all  the  latest  improvements 
Greenback  party.  For  seven  or  eight  years  and  conveniences  and  because  of  his  excel- 
he  served  as  township  supervisor  and  dur-  lent  business  management  in  former  years  he 
ing  a  part  of  that  time  was  chairman  of  the  is  now  enabled  to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and 
board.  At  the  time  of  his  demise  he  was  one  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life, 
of  the  oldest  residents  of  Stonington  town-  Mr.  Bowman  came  to  Christian  county  at 
ship.  In  every  respect  a  self-made  man  he  a  time  when  there  was  hardly  a  furrow 
won  his  own  way  to  a  place  among  the  re-  turned  in  what  is  now  this  richly  cultivated 
spected  and  substantial  farmers  of  central  portion  of  the  state.  There  was  much  wild 
Illinois  through  industry  and  energy.  In  game  to  be  had  and  some  deer  were  seen, 
the  later  years  of  his  life  it  was  the  annual  but  they  soon  disappeared  before  the  ad- 
custom  to  celebrate  his  birthday,  and  on  vancing  civilization.  Dr.  Bowman  entered 
these  occasions  a  large  number  of  friends  the  land  from  the  government  and  with  the 
and  relatives  would  gather  to  spend  the  day  aid  of  his  son  improved  the  farm,  making 
happily  with  him.  He  was  called  to  his  final  it  a  very  valuable  property.  In  his  political 
rest  March  6,  1901,  and  his  wife  passed  views  Mr.  Bowman  is  a  Prohibitionist.  He 
away  on  the  26th  of  August,  1893.  represents  one  of  the  most  prominent  f ami- 
John  A.  Bowman,  whose  name  introduces  lies  of  Christian  county  and  well  deserves 
this  record,  obtained  his  early  education  in  mention  in  this  volume, 
the  schools  of  Morgan  and  of  Greene  coun- 

ties  of  Illinois,  and  for  two  years  was  a  stu- 

,     ,   -      ,,          , ,.        1      1       r  T^     1       -11  FLETCHER  HAINES, 
dent   m   the  public   schools   of    laylorville. 

Since  putting  aside  his  text  books  he  has  Among  the  old  and  honored  residents  of 
read'  broadly  and  his  reading  embraces  his-  Christian  county  none  stands  higher  in  pub- 
toric  and  scientific  subjects  as  well  as  the  lie  esteem  than  the  gentleman  whose  name 
classical  literature  and  thus  he  has  become  introduces  this  sketch.  For  almost  a  half 
one  of  the  best  informed  men  of  the  county,  century  he  has  made  his  home  here  and  his 
He  has  been  a  special  student  of  science  for  name  is  inseparably  connected  with  its  ag- 
a  number  of  years,  giving  much  time  and  ricultural  interests,  for  he  has  made  farming 
thought  to  the  study  of  metaphysics.  When  his  life  work  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of 
he  attained  his  majority  he  was  given  an  in-  eight  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  valuable 
terest  in  the  home  farm  and  was  associated  land  in  this  county,  his  home  being  on  see- 
in  its  conduct  with  his  father.  He  engaged  tion  5,  Bear  Creek  township, 
extensivelv  in  the  raising  of  stock  until  Mr.  Haines  was  born  in  Kentucky,  No- 
about  the  time  of  his  mother's  death,  when  veml)er  5,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Christopher 
he  retired  from  that  business  and  rented  his  Haines,  who  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
land.  Since  his  father's  death  he  has  resided  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Sangamon 
alone  upon  the  old  homestead,  his  time  being  county,  Illinois,  where  he  died  in  1851. 
given  to  reading  and  to  the  supervision  of  During  the  boyhood  of  our  subject  he  ac- 
his  farming  interests.  He  has  extensive  companied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
landed  possessions,  his  holdings  aggregating  Sangamon  county  and  he  was  there  reared 
twelve  hundred  and  thirtv  acres  in  Christian  and    educated,    attending   an    old-time    sub- 


318 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cription  school.  In  1S45.  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one.  he  ccinimenced  earning-  his  own 
livehh(-)0(l.  Aliont  this  lime  the  Mexican 
war  broke  out  and  the  lolldwing  spring  he 
offered  his  services  to  tlie  government,  en- 
Hsting  in  the  lM:)urth  Illinois  Infantry  vnulcr 
the  command  of  Colonel  l''..  D.  Tiaker.  ITe 
])arlicipatcd  in  the  battles  of  A'era  Cruz  and 
Cerro  Gordo  under  C.encral  Winlield  Scott 
and  when  hostilities  ceased  was  honorably 
discharged  and  returned  to  his  home  in  San- 
gamon county.  It  was  in  l^^bruary.  1854, 
that  he  removed  to  Christian  county  and 
purchased  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  to 
which  he  has  since  added  from  time  to  time 
as  he  found  opportunity  until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  very  valuable  tract  of  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  acres. 

Mr.  Haines  was  first  married  in  1848,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Lucinda  Jane 
Hattler.   a   daughter  of   James   Hattler,   of 
Saniramon     countv.     wdio    came    originally 
from  Tennessee.     Two  children  blessed  this 
union:     J.  \\'..  who  was  born  in   1849  ^"*^^ 
now  resides  in  Denver.  Colorado,  where  he 
is  eneae^ed  in  business;  and  Sarah  Matilda, 
who  was  born  in  1850  and  died  when  about 
eighteen  months  old.    On  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber,  1852,  :\lr.  ITaines  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Lvdia  Anderson,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Nancy  Anderson,  who  were 
natives  of  Kentucky  and  residents  of  Chris- 
tian  county.    Illinois.      The  seven    children 
l)orn  of  this  union  were  as  follows  :   Thomas 
Theodore,  who  w'as  born  in   1853  and  died 
in  1855;  Edward  D.,  who  was  born  in  1856 
and  died  in  1857;  Millard  C,  who  was  born 
in  1858  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  grocery 
Imsiness   in    Portland,    Oregon;    Lizzie    N., 
who  was  born  in   1861   and  is  the  wdfe  of 
W'ilber    Hayes,"  of    Bear    Creek    township. 
Christian  county ;  Mary  J.,  who  was  born  in 
1863  and  was  the  wife  of  Jacob   Sclinepp 


and  died  Deceml)er  24.  1903;  Edith,  who 
was  born  in  1868  and  is  the  wife  of  George 
Schncpp;  and  Sherman  II.,  who  was  born 
in  1864  and  was  for  some  years  a  student 
in  the  law  departments  at  .\iui  .\rbor,  Mich- 
igan, and  Bloomington,  Illinois.  He  is  now 
following  his  chosen  profession  at  Portland. 
Oregon,  and  is  enjoying  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. 

Both  '\\r.  and  ^Irs.  Haines  are  earnest 
and  consistent  members  of  the  ^^^lethodist 
Protestant  church.  The  ancestors  of  our 
subject  affiliated  with  the  Whig  party  and 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
most  of  the  family  joined  its  ranks.  Mr. 
Haines  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  latter 
party  and  was  personally  acciuainted  wdth 
Abraham  Lincoln,  whom  he  met  a  great 
many  times.  In  early  life  he  took  quite  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs  and  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  from  1861  imtil  1864, 
was  township  trustee  for  thirteen  years,  and 
school  director  for  many  years.  He  is  wdiat 
the  public  terms  a  self-made  man,  having 
made  all  that  he  has  by  hard  work  and  care- 
ful management,  being  a  man  of  exception- 
ally good  judgment  and  close  observation. 
He  is  a  pleasing  conversationalist,  being  well 
posted  on  the  current  questions  of  the  day 
and  he  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fel- 
l(tw  citizens. 


E.    G.    COONROD. 

1^.  G.  Coonrod  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Illinois  and  is  familiar  with  the  history  of 
Christian  county  from  an  early  period  in 
its  development.  He  has  witnessed  all  the 
changes  that  have  occurred,  the  transforma- 
tion that  has  been  wrought,  and  has  borne 
his  share  in  the  work  of  improvement  along 
lines  of  substantial  upbuilding.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  Septum- 


p 

n 
o 
o 
z 

o 

D 
> 

z 

D 
> 


r 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


321 


her  5.  1832.  His  grandfather  was  George 
Coonrod,  his  fatlier  Stephen  Coonrod.  The 
latter  settled  in  Greene  connty  at  a  very 
early  day  hut  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and 
was  married  in  that  state  to  Candace  Lee. 
They  remo\-ed  to  Wayne  county,  Illinois, 
and  after  several  years  to  Greene  county, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  farming.  He 
would  engage  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil 
throughout  the  w^ek  and  on  Sundays  would 
preach,  heing"  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
church.  In  his  family  were  ten  child: en 
who  reached  maiure  years  and  seven  are 
now  living.  The  eldest,  Jefferson,  resides 
in  Greenfield.  Illinois,  and  was  eighty  years 
of  age  in  June,  1903.  Elizabeth  is  the  wife 
of  T.  E.  Melvin,  alsO'  of  Greenfield.  Mrs. 
Isal^el  Kincade  is  the  next  younger  and  was 
followed  by  our  subject.  S.  M.  is  living  in 
Colorado  Springs  and  C.  C.  in  Philo,  Cham- 
l)aign  county,  Illinois.  Nancy  A.,  the 
youngest,  is  the  widow  of  Washington  Rice 
and  resides  in  Pinckneyville,  Illinois.  The 
father  carried  on  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  tlie  "70s,  when  he  was 
seventy-five  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
])assed  away  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years. 

The  educational  i)ri\ileges  of  E.  G.  Coon- 
rod were  limited.  He  began  his  education 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  and  never  had  the  op- 
portunity of  attending  for  more  than  three 
months  in  a  year,  as  his  services  were  needed 
on  the  home  farm  at  the  time  of  plowing, 
planting  and  harvesting.  In  his  youth  the 
family  Hved  in  true  pioneer  style.  They 
W(^re  liome-made  clothing,  shearing  the 
sheep  and  spinning  and  weaving  the  cloth 
from  which  garments  were  fashioned.  The 
only  light  was  furnished  by  tallow  candles, 
which  Mr.  Coonrod  frequently  assisted  in 
molding.  His  mother  would  do  her  baking 
in  the  fireplace,  using  skillets,  and  he  well 


remembers  the  first  cookstove  which  they 
had — an  old-fashioned  stove  with  three  leo-s 
Alton  was  the  market  for  grain  and  the 
stock  was  driven  to  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Coon- 
rod used  a  wooden  moldboard  plow  in  his 
boyhood  and  cultivated  corn  with  a  single 
shovel  plow. 

He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  February  7,  1861, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  bemg  Nancy  Doyle, 
a  native  of  Greene  county  and  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Mary  (Coates)  Doyle,  early 
settlers  of  that  county.  After  their  mar- 
riage they  came  to  Christian  county,  settling 
in  Prairieton  township  on  eighty  acres  of 
wild  land,  which  he  greatly  improved  and 
to  which  he  added  until  he  is  to-day  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  valuable  land,  all  in  one  body.  In  1857 
he  began  breaking  his  land  with  three  horses 
and  his  neighbors  predicted  that  he  would 
kill  the  horses — oxen  having  previously  been 
used.  The  prairie  grass  and  rosin  weed 
grew  often  as  high  as  a  man's  head  and  it 
was  a  difiicult  task  to  prepare  the  land  for 
cultivation.  Mr.  Coonrod,  however,  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  farming  until  1893, 
when  he  retired  from  the  hard  labor  inci- 
dent to  cultivating  the  soil,  and  removed  to 
Assumption,  where  he  has  since  enjoyed  a 
well-earned  rest. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coonrod  were  born 
five  children :  Edmund  D.  wedded  Mary 
Redding  and  resides  in  May  township. 
Orton  P.  married  Maud  Long,  resides  on 
the  old  homestead  and  has  three  children. 
Rena  B.  became  the  wife  of  A.  L.  Moore,  a 
merchant  of  Assumption,  and  died,  leaving 
two  daughters,  one  of  whom  resides  with 
her  grandfather  and  the  other  with  her 
father.  Nettie  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 
Mary  A.  is  now  the  widow  of  George  Lov- 


322 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ering  of  Assumption  and  has  two  children. 
Mer  home  is  south  nf  her  father's  house. 

While  residing  on  the  farm  Mr.  Coonrod 
served  as  townshi])  supervisor  for  one 
term,  also  highway  commissioner  and  school 
director  and  lie  is  now  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the  west  schocjl  of  Assumption.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat.  He  attends  the  Bap- 
tist church  and  has  ever  been  an  advocate 
of  all  measures  for  the  general  good  and 
for  the  improvement  of  the  county.  His 
life  has  been  active,  his  actions  sincere  and 
manl}-.  and  as  one  of  the  worthy  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Christian  count}-  he  well  deserves 
mention  in  this  volume.  His  success  has 
been  honestly  gained  and  his  life  record 
shows  what  can  l)e  accomplished  by  deter- 
mined pur|)ose  and  continued  activity. 


AARON  SAMUEL  HEDDEN. 

Aaron  S.  Hedden,  who  is  living  on  sec- 
tion 9,  Taylorville  township,  where  he  fol- 
lows the  occupation  of  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  was  born  March  29,  1840,  in  Shelby 
county,  Kentucky,  a  son  of  Simon  and  Sa- 
lina  Hedden.  The  father  was  also  a  native 
of  Shelby  county.  Kentucky,  and  in  Novem- 
ber. 1855,  arrived  in  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois, making  the  journey  in  a  two-horse 
w.'igon.  Here  he  rented  land  and  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  December,  1868. 

Mr.  Hedden.  of  this  review,  spent  his 
early  youth  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and 
accjuired  his  education  in  the  pulilic  schools 
there.  He  arrived  in  Christian  county  in 
August,  1856,  and  here  began  working  by 
the  month  on  a  farm.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  two  years,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  connection  with  his 
father  for  a  time.  On  attaining  his  ma- 
jority he  again  began  work  as  a  farm  laborer 


by  the  month  and  followed  that  jjursuit  for 
three  years,  after  which  he  began  farming 
on  his  own  account,  securing  a  tract  of 
rented  land.  He  li\ed  upon  that  farm  for 
five  years  and  when  his  industry,  economy 
and  i)erseverance  had  brought  him  capital 
sufhcient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  farm 
of  his  own  he  inxested  ni  eighty  acres  in 
Taylorville  township,  on  which  he  li\ed  for 
six  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  removed  to  the  farm  which  he  now^  owns, 
comprising  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
rich  and  aral)le  land  on  section  9,  Taylor- 
ville towaiship.  Here  he  has  resided  con- 
tinuously since  1875  and  has  made  nearly  all 
of  the  improvements  upon  the  place.  He 
set  out  trees,  erected  substantial  buildings, 
built  good  fences  and  placed  the  fields  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Neatness  and 
thrift  characterize  the  place  and  indicate  to 
the  passerby  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner. 

Mr.  Hedden  has  been  twice  married.  In 
1864  he  wedded  Miss  Samantha  S.  Holland, 
who  died  in  1867  and  the  two  children  born 
to  them  both  died  in  infancy.  She  was  a 
most  estimable  lady  and  was  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  her.  On  the  24th 
of  February,  1870,  Mr.  Hedden  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Harriet  Williams  Ladd. 
a  daughter  of  Noyes  and  Phoebe  (Will- 
iams) Ladd,  both  natives  of  Connecticut. 
Her  ancestors  were  among  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  who  founded  the  New  England  col- 
onies and  she  is  a  descendant  of  both  Fl- 
bridge  Garry  and  William  Williams.  Ijoth 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
In  1849  Mrs.  Hedden's  father  brought  his 
family  to  Christian  county.  Illinois.  As  there 
were  few  railroads  at  that  time  the  journey 
was  made  principally  by  water.  From  Ston- 
ington  Point,  Connecticut,  they  sailed  down 
Long  Island   Sound,   then   up   the  Hudson 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


323 


river  to  Albany,  but  the  steamer  on  which 
they  first  took  passage  was  sunk  near  New- 
burgh  on  Mrs.  Hecklen's  fourth  birthday 
and  four  of  Mr.  Ladd's  brothers  were 
(h'owned,  as  were  many  other  passengers  on 
the  ill-fated  Empire  State.  From  Albany 
they  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Erie  canal  to 
tlie  Great  Lakes,  Illinois  canal  and  Illinois 
river  to  Springfield  and  by  wagon  to  Buck- 
hart  township,  Christian  county,  wdiere  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ladd  made  their  home  throughout 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.  As  pioneers 
of  the  county  they  materially  aided  in  its 
early  development  and  improvement.  Dur- 
ing their  residence  in  the  east  they  were 
members  of  one  of  the  first  Congregational 
churches  organized  in  the  United  Scates,  it 
])eing  the  Old  Road  church  of  Stonington, 
Connecticut,  and  they  became  charter  mem- 
l)ers  of  the  first  Presbyterian  church  of  Tay- 
lorville.  to  which  Mrs.  Hedden's  second 
mother  also  belonged.  They  always  took  a 
very  active  and  prominent  part  in  church 
work  and  their  lives  were  in  perfect  har- 
mony with  their  professions.  Mrs.  Hed- 
den's mother  died  in  1866  and  two  years 
later  her  father  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Hen- 
nard.  who  was  one  of  the  grand  good  women 
of  this  county.  The  father  died  m  1897,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years  and  his  wife 
ten  months  later,  honored  and  respected  by 
all  who  knew  them.  Tln-oughout  life  he 
made  farming  and  stock-raising  his  occupa- 
tion. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hedden  were  born 
five  children,  as  follows:  William  Samuel 
married  Alice  M.  Owens,  of  Indiana,  and 
resides  upon  the  farm  in  Taylorville  town- 
ship. Lydia  Harriet  and  Elizabeth  Jane  are 
now  attending  Eureka  College,  and  Mary 
Salina  and  Prue  Anabell  are  at  home.  There 
is  quite  a  romance  connected  with  the  lives 
of  Mr.   and  Mrs.   Hedden.     Mr.   Hedden's 


family  all  belong  to  the  Christian  church, 
and  although  he  is  not  a  member  he  con- 
tributes generously  to  its  support.  As  a  citi- 
zen he  is  actively  interested  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  public  welfare  and  is  a  helpful 
co-operant  in  many  measures  for  the  general 
good. 

As  a  self-made  man  Mr.  Hedden  certainly 
deserves  much  credit  for  he  started  out  in 
life  with  nothing  and  all  that  he  possesses 
to-day  he  has  made  through  hard  work  and 
good  management.  When  he  came  to  this 
county  it  was  nearly  all  raw  prairie  and  a 
great  deal  of  it  was  under  water,  but  it  has 
been  drained  and  tiled  until  the  fields  are 
now  extremely  productive  and  there  is  no 
richer  farming  country  in  all  the  broad  Mis- 
sissippi valley  than  is  found  in  Christian 
county.  Mr.  Hedden  gives  his  attention  to 
the  raising  of  both  grain  and  stock,  but  has 
profited  more  largely  from  the  former.  He 
now  owns  more  than  four  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Christian  county  and  is  one  of  six 
partners  who  own  six  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-four  acres  in  Mississippi 
His  life  history  shows  what  can  be  accom- 
plished through  strong  determination,  unfal- 
tering energy  and  capable  business  manage- 
ment and  it  should  serve  to  encourage  and 
inspire  others  who  have  to  start  out  in  life 
as  he  did — empty-handed. 


\\TLLiAM  H.  McDonald. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
^^'illiam  H.  McDonald  has  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school,  but  now  follows 
farming  on  section  17,  Johnson  township. 
Like  many  of  Illinois'  most  worthy  citizens 
he  comes  from  Ohio,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  that  state  on  the  9th  of  February, 
1844.  His  parents  were  John  and  Christen 
McDonald,    also    natives    of    Ohio    and    of 


324 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Scotch  descent.  The  father  died  August  29, 
1889,  having  survived  his  wife  only  a  few 
months,  as  she  passed  away  on  the  iith  of 
Fehruary.  1889. 

In  the  state  of  his  nati\ity  W'iUiani  H. 
^IcDonald  was  reared  and  educated,  lie 
l)repared  himself  for  teaching  at  the  Na- 
tional Normal  School  at  Lehanon,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  graduated  on  August  15,, 
1867.  lie  entered  upon  his  duties  as  an  in- 
structor in  the  schoolroom  in  1862  and  con- 
tinued to  follow  the  teacher's  profession 
most  of  the  time  up  to  1900.  It  was  in  1865 
that  he  came  to  Christian  county.  Illinois, 
and  he  had  charge  of  schools  here  until  his 
retirement  from  the  profession,  having  con- 
fined his  efiforts  to  only  four  districts  in 
Johnson  township.  In  1874  he  made  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  consisting  of  a  tract 
of  eightv  acres,  which  he  subsec|uently  sold 
and  then  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Johnson  townshij)  where  he  now 
lives.  This,  together  with  the  property 
owned  by  his  wife,  makes  a  good  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  The  well  tilled 
fields  and  neat  and  tlu'ifty  appearance  of  the 
])]ace  testifies  to  his  careful  supervision  and 
untiring  industry. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1867,  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Har- 
riet V.  Anderson,  a  daughter  of  Tavner  B. 
Anderson,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1854. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
the  following  children :  John  T.,  who  is 
married  and  engaged  in  l)lacksmithing  in 
Clarksdale,  this  county ;  Azalia,  wife  of  J. 
W.  Masters,  a  farmer  of  Johnson  towmship ; 
Herschel  V.,  at  home;  Nettie  V..  who  died 
at  the  age  of  three  and  a  half  years;  Enona 
C.  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years ;  Lin- 
nie  May.  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years;  Flora,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months:  Hazel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 


months;  Theodore  V>..  who  died  al  the  age  of 
sexen  -vears  :  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  family  liold  membership  in  the  I^aptist 
church  and  Mr.  Mcl)ona]d  is  a  Republican 
in  politics.  lie  still  takes  an  actix'e  interest 
in  educational  affairs  and  is  now  serving  as 
school  treasiu'er.  He  h.as  also  filled  the 
office  of  township  clerk. 


H.  MILO  NEWKIRK,  M.D. 

Dr.  H.  Milo  Newkirk.  the  village  clerk  of 
Owaneco  and  a  practicing  physician  w'ho 
has  made  his  home  in  Christian  county  since 
January,  1900,  was  born  in  Shelby  county, 
Illinois,  in  September,  1870,  a  son  of  Will- 
iam ^^^  and  Mary  (Wamsley)  Newd<:irk, 
the  former  a  native  of  Indiana  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Ohio.  They  came  to  Illinois  about 
1855  ^^^^^  remained  residents  of  this  state 
until  called  to  the  home  beyond,  the  mother 
passing  away  in  1895,  ^vhile  the  father's 
death  occurred  in  1901. 

Dr.  Newkirk  spent  his  lx)yhood  days 
under  the  parental  roof  and  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools.-  He 
afterward  spent  one  year  as  a  student  in 
Chaddock  College,  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  and 
then  entered  the  Illinois  State  Normal  Uni- 
versity, in  which  he  spent  three  years.  Hav- 
ing obtained  a  good  preparatory  education 
to  serve  as  a  firm  basis  for  professional 
knowledge  he  began  preparing  for  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  by  matriculat- 
ing in  the  Marion  Sims  Medical  College, 
at  St.  Louis.  ^lissouri,  where  he  completed 
a  course  by  graduation  with  the  class  of 
1897.  He  then  located  for  practice  in  \\'ar- 
rensburg,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for 
eighteen  months,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  i)criod  he  came  to  Owaneco.  where  he 
arrived  in  January.  1900.  Here  he  has  since 
made  his  home  ;uid    in  the  ]iracticc  he  has 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


325 


won  \crv  desirable  success.  He  is  continu- 
ally a(l\ancing-  in  et'liciency  and  knowledge 
through  study,  reading  and  investigation 
and  his  efforts  for  the  alleviation  of  human 
suffering  have  been  attended  with  excellent 
results. 

In  1902  the  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Lillian  Cannon,  a  daughter  of  Scott 
Cannon,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  they  now 
have  one  son,  Bruce  Cannon.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Newkirk  own  their  home  in'  Owaneco  and 
delight  to  extend  its  hospitality  to  their 
manv  friends.  They  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he  belongs 
to  Locust  Lodge,  No.  623,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of 
Owaneco.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  is  now  serving  as  village  clerk.  Well 
known  in  Christian  county  as  an  able  mem- 
ber of  the  profession  among  its  younger  rep- 
resentatives, he  is  also  a  leading  citizen  in 
his  advocacy  of  public  affairs  for  the  general 
good. 


JULIUS  BROEHL. 

The  discovery  of  coal   and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mines'  in  Christian  county  have 
added  materially  to  the  wealth  and  prosper- 
ity of  this  section  of  the  state.     To-day  one 
of  the  leading  representatives  of  the  coal  in- 
terests of  the  locality  is  Julius  Broehl,  who 
as  a  partner  in  a  company,  is  managing  the 
Ijusiness  and  in  this  capacity  has  control  of 
a  force  of  six  hundred  workmen.     He  was 
born  in  Atlanta,  Illinois,  in   1858,  and  is  a 
son  of  Gottlieb  and  Anna  Broehl.   His  father 
was  a  native  of  Saxony,  Germany,  and  in 
185 1,  bidding  adieu  to  home  and  native  land 
he  sailed  for  ;\merica.     He  settled  first  in 
Galveston,    Texas,   and   afterward   came   to 
the  north,  taking  u])  his  abode  near  Pekin, 
Illinois.      In   1858  he  removed   co  Atlanta. 
Illinois,  where  he  first  conducted  a  cabinet- 
making  establishment,   but  later  he  turned 


his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  locat- 
ing upon  a  farm.  He  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  York  county,  Nebraska. 

Julius   Broehl   acquired  his   education   in 
the  public  schools  near  Lincoln,  Illinois,  and 
then   desirous   of   enjoying  more   advanced 
educational   privileges  he  entered  the  Nor- 
mal University  at  Normal,  Illinois,  in  1876. 
In  the  scholastic  year  of  1878-9,  he  engaged 
in  teaching  and  in  the  winter  of  1880  he  be- 
came  a    student    in    Johnson's    Commercial 
College  at  St.  Louis.     In  April,  1880,  he  ac- 
cei)ted  the  position  of  bookkeeper  with  the 
coal    company   at   Lincoln,    Illinois,   and   in 
1 88 1    he   was   sent   to   Decatur,   Illinois,   to 
open  up  a  set  of  books  there  in  connection 
with  the  development  of  a  new  mine  owned 
bv  the  Lincoln  Company.     He  remained  in 
Decatur  until  the  fall  of  1884,  when  he  was 
sent  to  Pana  to  take  charge  of  the  mine  of 
the  Pana  Coal  Company.     In  1887  he  was 
admitted  to  a  partnership   in  the  business, 
and  in  1891  was  made  manager  of  the  com- 
pau}'.      His  partners  in  this  enterprise  are 
Messrs.  Puterbaugh,  Harts  &  Frorer.     This 
company  owns  the  New  Bent  mine  at  Pana 
and  employs  six  hundred  workmen,  a  fact 
which  indicates  that  the  business  is  extensive 
and  the  output  of  the  mines  large. 

In  December,  1884,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Broehl  and  Miss  Louise  Meis- 
ter,  a  daughter  of  John  P.  Meister,  of  Deca- 
tur, Illinois.  Two  children  graced  this 
union,  Leland  and  Wayne.  The  former  is 
now  fifteen  years  of  age  and  the  latter  a 
\()uth  of  ten  years.  The  elder  son  is  now  in 
his  second  year  in  the  high  school  of  Pana 
and  throughout  his  course  has  made  the 
highest  record  of  his  class,  of  which  his  par- 
ents have  every  reason  to  lie  proud.  Mrs. 
Broehl  is  a  highly  accomplished  lady  of 
more  than  ordinary  musical  accomplish- 
ments,, a  graduate  of  the  Decatur,  Illinois, 


'J  -'  v> 


PAST  AND   I 'RESENT 


high  school,  and  a  prominent  worker  in  lit- 
erary chibs.  She  also  belongs  to  the  Pres- 
hvterian  church  and  is  an  actixe  worker  in 
charity. 

Mr.  Broehl  holds  membership  relations 
with  the  Woodmen  of  America,  with  the 
Masons  and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  He  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  snpport  of 
the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
parly  and  ni)(^n  that  ticket  he  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  city  treasurer.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing as  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  Pana 
and  has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
cause  of  education,  doing  everything  possi- 
ble to  advance  the  standard  of  the  schools 
and  promote  their  efficiency.  He  is  a  self- 
made  man  who  has  worked  his  own  way  up- 
ward and  has  through  hard  labor  secured 
his  advancement  in  business  life.  He  pos- 
sesses natural  mechanical  skill  and  ability 
and  he  has  ever  utilized  his  talents  and  time 
to  the  best  advantage.  The  word  failure 
forms  no  part  in  his  life  history  for  his  de- 
termination and  laudable  ambition  have  en- 
abled him  to  overcome  all  obstacles  and  dif- 
ficulties in  his  i)ath  and  gradually  worked 
his  way  upward  to  success.  To  him  there 
has  come  the  attainment  of  a  distinguished 
position  in  connection  with  the  great  ma- 
terial industries  of  the  county  and  his  efforts 
have  been  so  wiselv  directed  along  well  de- 
fined lines  of  labor  that  he  seems  to  have 
realized  at  any  one  point  of  progress  the  full 
measures  of  his  ])ossibilities  for  accomplish- 
ment at  tl'iat  point.  The  successful  men  of 
the  day  are  the}-  who  haxe  i)lanned  their  own 
advancement  and  ha\e  accfimplished  it  in 
spite  of  many  obstacles.  This  class  certain- 
ly has  a  worthy  representative  in  Mr. 
Broehl,  who  began  his  life  under  unfavor- 
al)le  circumstances,  but  to-day  stands  among 
the  distinguished  representatives  of  indus- 
trial life  in  Christian  countv. 


LAN  DA  LI  Xh:  YOUNG. 

Among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany 
lias  furnished  to  the  new  world  may  be  num- 
bered Landaline  Young,  who  has  made  his 
home  in  Christian  county  for  the  past  ten 
vears  and  is  now  successfully  engaged  in 
agricultural  jjursuits  on  section  23,  Moscjuito 
township.  He  was  born  in  the  fatherland 
January  29,  1853,  and  in  i860  came  to  the 
Cnited  States  with  his  parents,  Benedict  and 
Cecelia  Young,  who  were  also  natives  of 
Germany.  The  family  first  located  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Illinois,  l)ut  two  years  later 
removed  to  Macon  county,  where  the  father 
died  in  1902,  but  the  mother  is  still  li\'ing 
and  continues  to  reside  in  Macon  county. 

Landaline  Young  was  reared  in  that 
county  and  was  educated  in  its  district 
schools.  At  the  age  of  twentv-three  vears 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  and  has 
since  devoted  his  tmie  and  energies  to  farm- 
ing. So  successful  was  he  that  at  the  end  of 
five  years  he  was  able  to  purchase  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Macon 
county,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
1893.  when  he  sold  that  place  and  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Mosquito  toAvnship,  Christian  county.  Here 
he  has  steadily  prospered.  He  purchased  an 
additional  forty  acre  tract  and  is  now  erect- 
ing a  commodious  an.d  comfortable  residence 
ujion  his  ])lace.  The  fields  are  well  tilled 
and  eA'er}'thing  about  the  farm  indicates  the 
progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 

On  the  8th  of  Eebruary,  1876.  ]\[r.  Young- 
was  united  in  marriage  to  j\liss  Augusta 
I'utsch,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Putsch,  who 
was  also  born  in  German}-.  Eight  children 
bless  this  union :  Charles  F.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  follows  farming  in  Christian 
county  ;  Benedict ;  Emma  Augusta ;  Martha 
E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years;  Otto 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


327 


F. ;  Edward  L. ;  Josephine  L. ;  and  John  O. 
The  younger  children  are  all  at  home.  The 
family  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic 
church  of  Stonington  and  Mr.  Young  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  His  political  support  is  given  the 
Democratic  party  and  its  principles  and  he 
has  filled  the  office  of  school  director  in  a 
most  capable  and  satisfactory  manner. 


J.  S.  WALLACE. 

Among  the  citizens  of  Bear  Creek  town- 
ship none  is  more  deserving  of  representa- 
tion in  this  volume  than  J.  S.  Wallace,  who 
has  for  years  been  connected  with  the  mer- 
cantile and  agricultural  interests  of  the  com- 
munity and  who  has,  through  well  directed 
efforts,  gained  a  handsome  competence  that 
numbers  him  among  the  substantial  men  of 
his  township.  Keen  discrimination,  unflag- 
ging industry  and  resolute  purpose  are  num- 
bered among  his  salient  characteristics  and 
thus  he  has  won  that  prosperity  which  is  the 
merited  reward  of  honest  effort. 

Mr.  Wallace  w'as  born  in  Delaware  on  the 
15th  of  January,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Rebecca  (Seaman)  Wallace. 
The  mother  died  in  1852  and  the  father  sub- 
sequently came  west,  locating  in  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  in  1875.  Here  he  passed 
away  in  188 1.  Our  subject  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  Delaware  and  New  York  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  commenced 
teaching,  wdiich  profession  he  followed  for 
eight  years  before  coming  west.  In  1863  he 
became  a  resident  of  Adams  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  taught  school  for  seven  vears,  and 
then  removed  to  Taylorville  and  embarked 
in  mercantile  pursuits,  conducting  a  store 
there  until  1881.  He  was  next  engaged  in 
the  same  line  of  business  at  Clarksdale  until 
August,   1902,  when  he  sold  his  store  and 


has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  owns  a  fine 
farm  of  five  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in 
Bear  Creek  township,  which  he  is  now  suc- 
cessfully operating,  and  besides  this  valuable 
property  he  has  ele\'en  lots,  three  residences 
and  a  store  building  in  Clarksdale. 

Mr.  Wallace  was  married  October  26. 
1 87 1,  to  Miss  Olive  Hewatt,  a  daughter  of 
William  T.  and  Andromache  (Gibson) 
Hewitt.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  in  early  life  followed  farming  and 
stock-raising  in  Kentucky  and  in  185 1  he 
migrated  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Christian 
county  on  land  now  comprised  within  John- 
son towaiship.  There  he  entered  and  pur- 
chased land  to  the  extent  of  six  hundred 
acres  and  lived  in  that  locality  until  the  death 
of  his  wife  in  1857,  when  he  removed  to  the 
old  Vincent  place,  where  his  remaining  days 
were  passed.  He  died  in  1890,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years,  owning  at  that  time 
nearly  four  thousand  acres.  By  his  first 
marriage  he  had  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, namely :  Francis  M. ;  Olive,  wife  of 
our  subject ;  Aurelius  M. ;  James  B. ;  Laura 
J. ;  and  Hannah  L.  The  mother  of  these 
children  was  a  most  lovable  and  noble  lady 
and  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian church.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Hew- 
itt married  Miss  Mary  R.  Wilcoxson,  by 
^\•hom  he  had  three  sons,  William  T.,  Lee 
Davidson  and  Omer  B. 

The  children  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wal- 
lace are  as  follows :  Roy  C,  the  eldest,  was 
killed  on  a  railroad  crossing  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years  and  eighteen  days.  Will- 
iam G.  died  at  the  age  of  six  years.  Cloyd 
H.  married  Sophia  J.  Bates  and  was  killed 
on  the  Wabash  Railroad  March  14,  1902, 
when  twenty-five  years  of  age.  His  son, 
Cloyd  Perry,  was  born  the  following  Au- 
gust.     Thus  >vithin   §ix  years,  our   subject 


328 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


lost  two  sons  by  bciiii;-  killed  by  the  cars. 
(iloiin.  llio  next  of  the  family,  is  now  with 
the  Ke>ken  Iron  Works  of  St.  Louis.  Wanita 
Olive  anil  Joseph  S.  are  l)oth  at  home. 

Mrs.  Wallace  is  an  earnest  member  of 
the  Christ i.ui  church  and  is  a  most  estimable 
l.'idv.  iM-aternally  our  subject  is  connected 
with  Mound  Eodi^e.  No.  122,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
and  also  belons^s  to  the  ^bxlcrn  Woodmen 
of  .\nierica  and  the  Fraternal  Army  of 
America,  "lis  ])olitical  support  is  given  the 
Democratic  partv  a.nd  he  has  filled  the  of- 
fices of  deputy  sheriff  and  postmaster  of 
Clarksdale,  servini;'  in  the  latter  capacity  for 
twenty  years.  A  ])ublic-spirited  and  pro- 
gressix'e  citi/en.  he  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  his  township  and 
county  and  he  justly  merits  the  esteem  in 
which  he  is  uniformlv  held  by  his  fellow 
men. 


EDWARD    FORRESTER. 

One  of  the  worth}-  citizens  that  Ireland 
has  furnished  to  the  new  world  is  Edward 
Forrester  and  in  his  life  he  exemplifies  the 
sterling-  traits  of  character  of  the  people  of 
the  Emerald  Isle.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Roscommon  county,  on  th?  17th  of  March, 
1831.  his  parents  being  Matthew  and  Mary 
Forrester.  They  came  to  the  United  States 
about  1838.  locating  in  Faporte,  Indiana, 
where  the  father  ga\e  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  and  his  wife  spent 
their  remaining  days  in  that  locality,  the 
former  passing  awav  in  i860,  while  Mrs. 
Forrester,  long  surviving  her  husband,  died 
in  the  year  1888. 

Edward  Forrester  was  a  resident  of  the 
I'jnerald  Isle  for  only  about  seven  years  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  the  new  world.  Tie  was  reared 
under  the  |)arental   roof   in    Indiana  and   in 


his  boxhoiid  d;i\s  attended  the  pul)lic 
schools,  there  ac(|uiring  his  earl_\'  education. 
I  le  worked  for  his  father  until  twenty  years 
of  au'e  and  then  he,  his  brother  and  tw(^ 
other  }'oung  men  rigged  up  a  team,  went  to 
St.  jose])h.  Missouri,  whence  they  drove 
across  the  couutrv  to  Placerville.  California. 
On  the  17th  of  August,  1850,  they  arrived 
at  I*lacer\ille  and  Mr.  h'orrester  was  there 
two  years,  engaged  in  mining.  He  then 
turned  h.is  attention  to  farming",  which  he 
followed  for  three  consecuti\e  years.  The 
return  trip  was  made  by  boat  to  New  York 
city  and  thence  across  the  continent  to  the 
Mississippi  valley. 

In  ]\Iarch,  1856,  Mr.  Forrester  came  to 
Illinois  and  for  two  years  thereafter  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  He 
then  engaged  in  clerking  in  the  store  of  Mr. 
Garwood  at  Moweaqua,  where  lie  resided 
for  three  years.  Wdien  his  industry  and 
economy  had  Ijrought  to  him  sufficient  cap- 
ital to  enable  him  to  purchase  land  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  which  is  still  in  his  posses- 
sion. This  formed  the  nucleus  of  his  present 
fine  farm,  for  as  opportunity  has  offered  he 
has  added  to  his  first  farm  from  time  to 
time  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred acres.  This  was  raw  ])rairie  land  when 
it  came  into  his  possession,  l)ut  it  is  now 
well  improved  and  tb.e  farm  is  one  charac- 
terized by  rich  fields  that  yield  good  har\ests 
in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  of  the 
owner. 

On  I'\'bruar\-  10.  1864,  ^Ir.  Forrester  was 
muted  in  marriage  to  Miss  ]\Iary  Desire 
P)rown,  a  daughter  of  John  D.  Brown,  of 
Stonington.  L'nto  them  ha\'e  been  born 
six  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  de- 
ceased. Catherine,  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  lacob  Corzine  of  Taylor\-ille ;  James  H., 
is  now  county  judge,   making  his  home  in 


EDWARD   FORRESTER 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  JJ.LINOIS. 


331 


Tayl<)r\ille;  and   Clara  Augusta  is  the  ^vife 
of  Dr.  Maley,  of  Galesbiirg",   Illinois. 

Mr.  Forrester  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  while  his  wife  be- 
longs to  the  Baptist  church.  They  have  a 
nice  home  in  Taylorville,  where  they  reside, 
but  he  is  still  operating  his  farm  in  Prairie- 
ton  township  and  there  spends  much  of  his 
time.  In  politics  he  is  an  earnest  Repub- 
lican and  was  filling  the  ])osition  of  township 
supervisor  at  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Tay- 
lorville. There  is  in  his  life  rec(^rd  much 
tliat  is  worthy  of  commendation,  for  he  had 
no  special  family  or  pecuniary  advantages  to 
aid  him  at  tlie  outset  of  his  career,  placing" 
his  dependence  upon  the  more  substantial 
qualities  of  earnest  purpose,  diligence  and 
determination.  These  salient  characteristics 
liaA'e  made  him  a  leading  resident  of  Chris- 
tian county,  his  prosperity  being  the  merited 
reward  of  his  \\cll-directed  lnl)or  and  busi- 
ness capacitv. 


DANIEL    SYLVESTER    BOLLINGER. 

One  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Stonington 
township  is  Daniel  S.  Bollinger,  who  owns 
and  operates  a  good  farm  on  section  14.  He 
was  born  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland, 
not  far  from  the  city  of  Baltimore,  on  the 
1 6th  of  December,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
Ephraim  and  Mary  Ann  (Strewag)  Bol- 
linger, also  natives  of  that  county,  where 
they  continued  to  make  their  home  until  our 
subject  was  about  six  years  of  age.  There  our 
subject's  grandparents,  w'ho  were  of  German 
descent,  spent  their  entire  lives.  Farming 
has  been  the  principal  occupation  of  the 
family. 

It  was  in  1869  that  Daniel  S.  Bollinger 
was  brought  by  liis  parents  to  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  and  here  he  was  reared  and 
18 


educated,  pursuing  his  studies  in  the  Ire- 
land school  during  the  winter  months,  while 
through  the  summer  season  he  aided  in  the 
N\ork  of  the  home  farm  and  thus  early  be- 
came familiar  w-ith  the  occupation  he  has 
chosen  as  a  life  work.  He  remained  wath 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death,  which  oc- 
curred on  the  1 8th  of  January,  1893,  and 
subsequently  the  farm,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  w'as  divided  be- 
tween them,  they  ha\'ing  purchased  the  in- 
terests of  the  other  heirs.  Our  subject  now 
operates  his  tract  of  eightv  acres  and  in 
partnership  with  his  brother  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  of  all  kinds. 
Besides  his  farm  he  also  has  some  town 
property  in  vStonington. 

At  Petersburg,  Illinois,  September  24. 
1902,  Mr.  Bollinger  married  Miss  Christina 
Jennetta  Blome,  who  was  born  on  the  22d 
of  April,  1876,  in  Menard  county,  eight 
miles  north  of  Petersburg.  Her  parents, 
George  and  Anna  (Morrell)  Blome,  were 
both  natives  of  Germany  and  coming  to 
America  during  childhood  settled  near  Pe- 
tersburg, Illinois,  where  the  father  is  now 
engaged  in  farming.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  In  his  family  are  nine  chil- 
dren, all  living,  namely :  Lizzie,  w  ife  of 
Lewis  Braner,  wdio  is  engaged  in  farming 
near  Oakford,  Illinois;  Henry,  who  married 
Mary  Neel  and  resides  in  Stonington  towai- 
ship;  Mary,  wife  of  Amiel  Gephardt,  now- 
living  in  Nebraska;  Rosa,  wnfe  of  Henry 
Gebhart,  of  Stonington  townshi]),  this  coun- 
ty; Charles,  who  wedded  Mary  Stahl  and 
resides  in  Menard  county,  Illinois;  Tildie. 
wife  of  Jacob  Stahl,  of  St(^nington  township  ; 
Christine,  wife  of  our  subject;  George,  who 
married  Mattie  Caldwell  and  lives  in  Iowa; 
and  Emma,  at  home  with  her  i^arents.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bollinger  have  one  child,  Verne  E., 


'>0  0 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


l)(ini  June  28.  K/)^.  l>y  liis  hallut  Mr.  F)ol- 
liiigcr  supports  the  Republican  party  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Reformed  church. 


ROSCOK  C.   XEFF. 

One  of  the  members  of  the  Christian 
county  bar  is  Roscoe  C.  Xeff,  who  as  a 
practitioner  of  Taylorville  has  in  recent  years 
been  connected  witli  much  of  the  important 
hti":ation  tried  in  th.e  courts  of  this  (hstrict. 
He  is  also  a  leading  member  of  the  Re- 
publican i)arty  of  this  ])ortion  of  the  state 
and  his  influence  has  been  widely  felt  in 
political  as  well  as  professional  circles.  Born 
in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  on  the  14th  of 
December,  1870,  lie  is  a  son  of  Sardine  W. 
and  Amanda  (Parish)  Xeff.  The  X^'eff  fam- 
ily is  of  German  ancestry,  while  the  Parish 
family  comes  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Christopher  X'^eff,  came 
from  Germany  about  1835  and  settled  near 
Olney,  Illinois,  while  James  Parish,  the  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  located  in  Indiana, 
whence  he  removed  to  Illinois  prior  to  the 
Civil  war.  In  this  state  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing near  Athens  and  there  died  in  1875. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  near 
Olney,  Illinois,  and  during  his  early  busi- 
ness career  resided  in  Iowa,  but  spent  the 
last  twenty-five  years  of  his  life  in  Sanga- 
mon county.  Prior  to  the  Ci\il  war  Mr. 
X^eff  was  a  stanch  Aliolitionist  and  was  as- 
sociated with  Abraham  Lincoln  during  the 
campaign  of  1861.  He  was  strong  in  argu- 
ment and  a  most  able  debater  and  he  took 
a  lively  interest  in  discussing  political  ques- 
tions. His  forceful  logic  and  his  earnest 
utterances  never  failed  to  carry  conviction 
to  the  minds  of  his  hearers  and  his  labors 
in  behalf  of  the  party  were  not  without  good 
results.  Throughout  his  business  career  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  i't  length 


lie  was  killed  by  :i  log  falling  upon  him  in 
1876.  His  widow,  who  yet  survives  him. 
now  resides  in  Sharpsburg,  where  she  re- 
moved with  her  family  of  seven  children  the 
vear  after  her  husband's  death.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  as  follows :  Frank 
E..  now  of  Athens,  Illinois;  Rev.  John  S., 
a  minister  of  the  southern  Wisconsin  con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  located  at  Sturgeon  Bay,  Wisconsin; 
George  H.,  a  teacher  of  Christian  county; 
Roscoe  C. ;  Luella,  the  wife  of  Charles  Eikle- 
berry,  who  resides  near  Taylorville;  Ada, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Phillips,  a  ranchman  in 
Kansas;  and  Anna  X".,  of  Sharpsburg. 

Roscoe  C.  X^eff  received  but  limited  school 
l)rivileges  and  is  therefore  largely  a  self- 
educated  as  well  as  a  self-made  man.  At 
the  early  age  of  nine  vears  he  began  work- 
ing on  a  farm,  where  he  did  chores  for  his 
board  during  the  A\inter  months.  He  was 
allowed  to  attend  school  to  some  extent  un- 
til eighteen  years  of  age,  but  a  few  months 
each  winter  in  the  course  of  these  years. 
However,  he  displayed  special  aptitude  in 
his  studies,  made  the  most  of  his  opportu- 
nities and  in  1892,  having  qualified  for  a 
teacher,  began  teaching  in  Mount  Zion 
school  near  StcMiington.  Illinois.  For  five 
years,  from  1892  until  1897,  he  followed 
that  profession  with  success  and  during  the 
last  two  years  he  also  conducted  a  farm  in 
addition  to  his  labors  in  the  schoolroom.  He 
began  as  a  teacher  at  a  salary  of  forty  dol- 
lars per  month  and  each  year  his  wages 
were  increased  fixe  dollars  per  month.  He 
soon  won  rank  with  the  leading  educators 
of  this  yinvt  of  the  state  and  one  year  his 
])upils  carried  off  prize  Xo.  t  and  at  other 
times  won  ])rizes  X'^os.  2,  5  and  ()  in  a  class 
of  oxer  txxd  hundred.  !\Ir.  Neft'  did  much 
hard  work  to  accomplish  this  and  his  zeal 
and  interest  in  educational  matters  inspired 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


')  o  •> 


and  encouraged  those  under  his  direction. 
Al:iont  1897.  desirous  of  promoting  his  own 
education,  he  went  to  Valparaiso.  Indiana, 
where  he  attended  the  Northern  Normal 
school,  completing-  the  work  of  the  junior 
and  senior  years  in  eighteen  months.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to 
Tavlorville  and  hegan  reading  law  under 
the  direction  of  Joseph  B.  Colegrove,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  in  practice  under 
the  firm  name  of  Colegrove  &  Neff 
until  November  i,  1903.  On  the  5th 
of  March,  1899,  he  passed  a  suc- 
cessful examination  at  La  Salle  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  that  year.  He  first  lo- 
cated in  Oklahoma  City,  hut  after  a  short 
time  there  spent  returned  to  Tavlorville  and 
entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  former 
preceptor,  on  the  ist  of  August,  1899. 

Mr.  Neff  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  poli- 
tics and  1)ecause  of  his  oratorical  ability  he 
is  frecpiently  sought  to  address  campaign 
meetings.  He  is  likewise  the  orator  of  the 
day  on  occasions  of  picnics  and  other  public 
gatherings.  Greatly  opposed  to  misrule  in 
municipal  affairs  or  to  any  trickery  in  po- 
litical work,  he  has  labored  inr  honesty  in 
l)olitics  and  has  been  largely  instrumental 
in  securing  the  candidacy  of  capable  men 
for  ofiice.  He  is  prominent  in  the  conven- 
tions of  his  party  and  has  frequently  served 
as  the  delegate  to  the  county,  state  and  con- 
gressional conventions,  where  his  opinions 
carry  weight  in  political  councils.  Often 
has  he  been  ch(5sen  to  act  as  chairman  of 
different  committees  or  to  make  the  nom- 
inating speech  before  such  conventions.  His 
oratorical  ability  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  was  selected  as  class  orator  by  a  vote  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty-six;  while  attending 
Indiana  State  Normal,  his  opponent  receiv- 
ing one  hundred  and  thirteen  votes. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  1894,  Mr,  Neff  was 


united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lillian  Ladd.  a 
daughter  of  Noyes  Ladd,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Sharpsburg,  Illinois.  They  now  have  one 
child,  Venus,  born  June  19,  1899.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  practice  of  law  Mr.  Neff  is  in- 
terested in  the  raising  of  cattle  and  hogs  and 
takes  great  delight  in  having  fine  stock.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  entertain  broad 
views  on  religious  cjuestions,  placing  Chris- 
tianity before  dogma.  A  man  of  strong 
temperance  principles  Mr.  Neff  does  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  promote  advancement 
in  that  direction 'and  he  uses  his  influence 
ever  on  the  side  of  moral  development  and  of 
progress  in  church  work.  He  was  formerly 
associated  with  the  musical  department  of 
the  Christian  church.  Of  literary  taste,  he 
possesses  a  fine  library,  covering  a  wide 
range  of  historical,  educational  and  scien- 
tific works  as  well  as  fiction.  A  gentleman 
of  scholarly  attainments  he  has  read  broadlv 
and  assimilates  what  he  reads.  Few  lawyers 
have  made  a  more  lasting  impression  upon 
the  bar  of  the  county  both  for  legal  ability 
of  a  high  order  and  for  the  individuality  of 
character  which  impresses  itself  upon  a  com- 
munity. He  possesses  broad  legal  learning, 
an  analytical  mind  and  readiness  with  which 
to  grasp  the  points  at  issue.  Earnest  effort, 
close  application  and  the  exercise  of  his 
native  talents  have  won  him  prestige  as  a 
la\\ver  in  Christian  countv. 


H.  H.  HERDMAN. 

H.  H.  Herdman,  formerly  president  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Morrisonville, 
has  done  much  to  promote  the  commercial 
activity,  advance  the  general  welfare  and 
secure  the  material  development  of  the  city 
and  surrounding  country.  As  a  business 
man  he  has  been  enterprising,  energetic  and 


?,34 


[•AST  AND   rUF.SENT 


;il\\a\s  abreast  n\  the  times  and  due  >uccess 
has  been  accorded  him. 

A  native  of  New  \nvk  state,  Mr.  Herd- 
man  was  lx)ni  on  the  Hudson  river.  March 
2=;,  184 1,  and  (hn"in!4'  childhotid  remoxed 
with  his  parents.  William  j.  and  Jemima 
(Hunter)  Herdman.  to  l\andol])h  county. 
Illinois.  His  father  was  born  in  Belfast. 
Ireland,  vi  I'uritan  stock,  his  ancestors  be- 
ing- Scotch  Presbyterians.  His  sons  have 
all  become  successful  business  men  and 
prominent  in  the  affairs  of  life. 

Duriiit^  his  lioyhood  H.  H.  Herdman  at- 
tended the  common  schools  and  on  starting 
out  in  life  for  himself  turned  his  attentiou 
to  the  mercantile  business,  but  hnding  that 
too  confining  he  embarked  iu  the  grain  trade. 
Removing  to  Morrisonville  in  1871.  he  and 
his  brother.  A.  A'.,  bought  an  elevator  at 
this  place  with  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  thou- 
sand bushels  and  began  buying  grain  of 
the  farmers  living  in  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. A  few  years  later  they  became  inter- 
ested in  the  manufacture  of  flour  but  t^n  ac- 
count of  the  exorbitant  freight  charges  that 
venture  did  not  ])ro\e  a  success  and  they 
have  since  turned  the  mill  into  a  grain  re- 
pository, so  that  they  now  ha\e  a  storage 
capacity  of  seventy-five  thousand  bushels  of 
grain.  \\'hen  they  first  started  in  business 
here  wheat  was  the  i)rincipal  cereal  rais^l 
and  marketed  but  there  is  now  more  corn, 
shipped.  IvV  fair  dealing  and  close  attention 
to  business  the  firm  has  met  with  most  ex- 
cellent success  and  to-dav  thev  rank  among 
the  leading  grain  mercliants  of  this  section 
of  the  state.  They  also  h.andle  coal.  supjDly- 
ing  a  large  number  of  custcjmers  with  that 
commodity. 

In  1903  H.  H.  Herdman  became  interested 
in  the  banking  business  and  is  to-day  a  di- 
rector of  the  First  National  Bank  of  ]\Ior- 
risonville.      This   bank   has  a   capital   stock 


of  t\\  ent\-li\e  thousa.nd  dollars  and  owing 
to  its  capable  management  it  is  now  in  a 
nourishing  condition.  'fhe  bank  building 
is  a  modern,  structure  with  all  the  latest  im- 
jn-ovements  and  occupies  tbe  best  business 
corner  in  the  city. 

In  1871  ]Mr.  Herdman  was  married  at 
Briohton.  Illinois,  to  Miss  Gilson,  wdio  is 
descended  from  good  old  Revolutionary 
stock  and  Is  now  a  member  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  Revolution,  being  connected  with  the 
chapter  at  St.  Louis.  Unto  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  born  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters,  but  one  son  and  one 
daughter  died  in  infancy  and  ^Marian  G.  died 
soon  after  her  graduation  at  Monticello  Sem- 
inary. Hugb  H.,  Jr.,  the  older  son,  is  a 
graduate  of  Columbia  College  of  New  York 
and  now  occupies  the  chair  of  literature  in 
Portland  Academy  at  Portland,  Oregon.  Al- 
liert  M.  is  attending  Wabash  College  and 
will  graduate  in  1906. 

In  business  circles  Air.  Herdman  occu- 
pies an  enviable  position  and  he  has  a  wide 
rei)utation  as  a  most  capable  financier.  In 
manner  he  is  pleasant  and  cordial,  which, 
combined  with  his  sterling  worth,  'nakes  him 
one  of  the  popular  citizens  of  his  adopted 
citv. 


W.   J.    JORDAN. 

l*>w  indeed  are  the  residents  of  Pana 
whose  connection  with  the  cit\-  antedates 
that  of  ^Ir.  Jordan,  for  he  arri\ed  in  the 
\-ear  iS5().  finding  here  but  a  smrdl  x'illage 
with  few  mcKlern  impro\enients  and  yet 
capable  of  the  deve1o]'ment  which  is  so  char- 
acteristic of  western  towns.  l^stablishing 
bis  home  within  its  borders  he  became  a 
most  acti\-e  and  important  factor  in  business 
circles,  instituting  man\'  enterprises  which 
have  largely  promoted  commercial  prosper- 
itv  here.     Par-siehted   in  behalf  of  his  in- 


W.   J^   JORDAN   AND   FAMILY 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


337 


(li\i(lual  interests  and  of  tlie  piil)lic  welfare, 
lie  has  labored  not  alone  for  the  present,  but 
looking  beyond  the  exigencies  of  the  mo- 
-ment  has  planned  for  the  future  and  lias 
co-operated  with  others  in  the  movements 
\\hich  haxe  resulted  in  the  expansion  and 
substantial  upbuilding  of  his  adopted  city, 
^lany  business  enterprises  have  felt  the 
stimulus  of  his  energy  and  labor,  and  now 
at  the  age  of  three  score  yeaVs  and  ten  he 
is  enjoying  a  w^ell-earned  rest. 

Mr.  Jordan  was  born  in  Virginia,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1 83 1,  a  son  of  Spotswood  and 
Mary  Jordan.  His  father,  also  a  native  of 
the  Old  Dominion,  was  a  shoemaker  by 
trade  and  after  follow-ing  that  occupation 
for  a  time  he  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing. He  removed  from  Virginia  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1890.  His  wife  passed  away  many 
years  before,  dying  on  the  ist  of  August, 
1836. 

When  fi^•e  years  of  age  W.  J.  Jordan  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Shelby  county,  Kentucky,  where  he  was 
reared  and  acquired  his  education.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  years  he  started  out  to  make 
his  own  wa}'  in  the  AAorld,  first  working  as  a 
farm  hand  in  the  employ  of  his  father  and 
afterward  in  the  employ  of  his  uncle.  Since 
that  time  he  has  depended  continuously  upon 
his  own  resources  and  whatever  success  he 
has  achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  ef- 
forts. At  length  leaving  farm  life  he  learned 
the  plasterer's  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
five  years.  In  1856  he  arrived  m  Illinois, 
settling  in  Pana.  sO'  that  he  is  now  one  of 
the  oldest  citizens  here.  He  has  throughout 
the  intervening  years  been  closely  connected 
with  the  business  development  of  the  city 
and  has  also  been  prominent  in  public  life, 
filHni'-  nianv  offices,  the  duties  of  which  he 


has  discharged  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
In  1857  he  was  elected  constable  and  deputy 
sheriff  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  twen- 
ty-five years."  In  the  meantime  he  had  turned 
his  attention  to  the  furniture  business  and 
conducted  a  store,  which  brought  to  him  a 
good  financial  return.  He  likewise  operated 
in  real  estate  for  some  time  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  was  associated  in  this  with  G. 
Ladd,  the  partnership  proving  mutually 
pleasant  and  profita1)le.  For  several  years 
he  was  also  in  the  livery  business  and  while 
thus  engaged  carried  the  first  surveyors 
through  to  Taylorville  to  make  the  survey 
for  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad.  In 
1879  he  began  farming  about  two  miles 
south  of  Pana,  and  placed  his  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  so  that  the  fields 
returned  to  him  golden  har^•est.  For  four 
vears  he  operated  his  land  and  then  sold  out. 
Again  he  took  up  farming  in  1892,  settling 
on  a  farm  north  of  Pana,  where  he  remained 
until  1901,  when  he  returned  to  the  city  and 
has  since  lived  a  retired  life. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Jordan  was  called 
upon  to  serve  in  various  offices.  He  was 
the  first  mayor  of  Pana,  being  chosen  to  the 
office  on  the  8th  of  March.  1867,  under  the 
provisions  of  a  special  charter.  He  was  also 
the  first  tax  collector  of  Pana  township,  Avas 
trustee  of  the  schools  for  a  number  of  years 
and  was  also  president  of  the  school  board 
in  1902.  He  w^as  supervisor  for  a  number 
of  vears  and  has  filled  other  county  offices, 
having  in  1879  been  elected  county  treas- 
urer, which  office  he  filled  for  three  years. 
When  the  books  were  examined  on  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  it  was  found  that  the 
county  was  indebted  to  him  to  the  amount 
of  eleven  dollars,  an  unusual  occurrence,  the 
indebtedness  being  generally  on  the  other 
side  of  the  ledger.  After  his  retirement  from 
tliat  office  he  again  resumed  real  estate  oper- 


338 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ations,  and  I'.oiiglii  and  sold  considerable 
property  and  negcjtiated  many  important 
realty  transfers.  He  was  also  president  of 
llie  l-"irst  National  P>ank  of  Pana  for  alxmt 
three  vears  and  a  (hrector  ten  veais,  and  his 
\aried  connection  with  trade  interests  shows 
him  to  he  a  man  of  resonrcefnl  husiness  abil- 
it\',  enterprising,  resolnte  and  progressive, 
the  spirit  of  adxancement  being  strongly 
marked  w  ithin  him. 

Ah".  Jordan  has  1)cen  married  twice.  On 
the  1st  of  Octolicr.  '1S57.  he  was  nnited  in 
marriage  to  Miss  L'rsnla  Brockman,  a 
daughter  of  William  Urockman,  of  Ohio. 
She  died  in  18S3  and  .\lr.  |ordan  was  again 
married,  his  second  nnion  being  with  AJiss 
Clara  Iv  Dunn;  who  was  bt>rn  in  Greenwood 
township,  Christian  county,  on  tlie  25th  of 
l^ecember,  i860,  a  daughter  of  James  A. 
Dunn,  who  is  still  li\ing  in  this  city.  Her 
uncle,  Sanford  Petty,  was  the  fu'st  asses.sor 
of  Christian  countw  I'nto  S'w.  :ind  Airs. 
Jordan  have  been  born  two  children:  Alay- 
ella  II.  and  Mary  E..  Ijoth  students  in  the 
public  schools  of  Pana. 

The  famil\-  are  all  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  and  Mr.  Jordan  is  one  of  the 
oldest  members  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
in  Pana.  When  he  arri\ed  in  this  ])lace  it 
contained  only  a  few  Ikjuscs  and  he  ha^ 
therefore  witnessed  a.lmost  its  entire  devel- 
opment, gixing  his  su[)])ort  to  all  measiu'es 
calculated  to  conser\-e  the  ])ublic  "(kxI.  His 
business  grew  and  develo]ied  with  the  town. 
He  had  a  capital  of  onl\'  eight  dollars  at 
the  time  of  his  arrival,  but  taking  ad\antage 
of  business  opportunities,  and  utilizing  his 
time  and  means  to  the  l)est  advantaee,  he 
has  won  for  himself  a  jjlace  prominent 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. His  life  has  been  honorable,  his 
actions  manly  and  sincere  and  he  has  gained 
for    himself    a    reputation     as    a     careful, 


straightforward  business  man  who  has  well 
earned    the    re>t    which    is    now    vouchsafed 

him . 


ROBERT  MARSPLALL. 

This  gentleman  is  one  of  the  highly  es- 
teemed citizens  of  .Mount  Auburn  now  liv- 
ino'  retired  from  actixe  lalx)r.  He  was  born 
on  the  2ist  of  June,  1829,  in  County  Down. 
Ireland,  of  which  county  his  parents,  James 
and  Sar;di  (Prom)  Marshall,  were  also  na- 
tives. About  1 85 1  they  took  passage  on  a 
sailing  vessel  and  after  a  voyage  of  several 
weeks'  duration  they  landed  in  New  York- 
city.  The  father  worked  at  the  stone-ma- 
son's trade  in  the  Empire  state  for  a  few- 
years  and  in  1858  came  to  Christian  county. 
Illinois,  where  he  made  his  home  with  our 
subject  in  Mosquito  township  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  there  Octo- 
l)er  II,  1859.  His  wife  had  passed  away 
on  the  1 8th  of  December,  1854.  Beth  were 
consistent  and  faithful  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  and  Mr.  Marshall  was  also 
connected  with  the  Alasonic  fraternity.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican.  His  family 
consisted  of  three  sons  and  seven  daughters, 
all  of  whom  reached  maturity  and  married, 
hut  only  three  of  the  number  are  now  living, 
these  being  Robert,  of  this  re^•iew• ;  Alary, 
wife  of  John  Marshall,  a  resident  of  County 
Down,  Ireland;  and  Agnes,  wife  of  James 
Pong,  of  Mosquito  township,  this  county. 
The  oldest  son,  James,  came  to  America  in 
1847  and  located  on  a  farm  in  New  York 
state,  where  he  made  his  hoiue  until  his 
death.  The  other  son,  William,  took  part  in 
the  Ci\il  war  and  died  in  Mosquito  town- 
ship, this  county.  Our  .subject's  grand- 
]:)arents  spent  their  entire  lives  in  County 
Down,  Ireland. 

During:   his   bovhood    and    vouth    Robert 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


339 


Marshall  attended  the  piihlic  schools  of  his 
native  land  and  assisted  his  father  in  the 
work  of  the  home  farm.  In  1849  -"'^  ^^'^^^~ 
grated  to  the  United  States,  joining  his 
brother  in  New  York,  where  he  spent  about 
four  years,  and  then  went  to  California, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  gold  mining  for 
the  same  length  of  time.  On  his  return  east 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Mosquito  town- 
sliip,  Christian  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  forty  acres  of  partially  improved 
land  for  seventeen  dollars  per  acre.  To  the 
cultivation  and  further  improvement  of  his 
place  he  devoted  his  energies  for  many 
years,  and  added  to  his  property,  so  that 
he  now  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  sections  17  and  20,  Mos- 
quito township.  There  he  resided  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1903,  when  he  put  aside  business  cares 
and  removed  to  Mount  x^uburn,  where  he  is 
now  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest. . 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1861,  in  Mount  Au- 
l>urn  township,  Mr.  Marshall  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Wilcock,  who 
was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  October 
25,  1842,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Mary  Ann  Wilcock,  natives  of  Derbyshire 
and  Doncaster,  respectively.  In  1843  she 
was  brought  by  her  parents  to  America,  the 
family  locating  in  Mount  Auburn  township, 
this  county,  where  Mr.  Wilcock  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres.  There  he 
died  September  5,  1844,  and  his  wife  de- 
parted this  life  on  the  25th  of  September, 
1888.  They  were  buried  in  Mount  Auburn 
cemetery  as  were  the  parents  of  our  subject. 
In  religious  belief  they  were  Methodist  and 
in  politics  Mr.  Wilcock  was  first  a  Whig 
and  later  a  Republican.  Of  their  four  chil- 
dren only  Mrs.  Marshall  is  now  living. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  have  been 
lx)rn  ten  children,  namely:  George  B.,  now 
assistant  chief  of  police  at  Decatur,  Illinois, 


married  Belle  Auger  and  has  two  children, 
Glenn  and  Fay.  Margaret  Ann  died  Sep- 
tember 8,  1877.  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years. 
Clara  Jane  is  the  wife  of  Harden  Tankers- 
ley,  a  farmer  of  Mosquito  township,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Grace,  Chester  and  Bes- 
sie. Mary  Florence  is  the  wife  of  Philip 
Schempf,  living  near  Oberon,  Benson  coun- 
ty. North  Dakota,  and  they  have  one  child,. 
Frank.  William  James,  a  resident  of  Ed- 
mond,  Oklahoma  married  Delia  Young  and 
has  one  child  Fern.  Alice  Caroline  is  the 
wife  of  Bruce  Bramel,  who  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  farm  in  Mosquito  township,  and 
they  have  three  children :  Homer,  Eva  and 
Hazel.  Sarah  Etta  is  the  wife  of  Otis  Hofer 
and  resides  in  Mount  Auburn.  Charles 
Francis  and  John  Edward  are  still  under  the 
parental  roof.  Myrtle  Agnes  is  the  wife  of 
George  Richard  Hardy,  a  farmer  of  Mos- 
cjuito  township. 

By  his  ballot  Mr.  Marshall  supports  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party 
but  has  never  cared  for  office.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  are  earnest  and  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mount 
Auburn,  of  which  he  is  now  one  of  the  trus- 
tees. They  are  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county  where  they  have  so 
long  made  their  home  and  their  circle  of 
friends  is  extensive. 


JOHN  C.  MONTGOMERY. 

John  C.  Montgomery,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Mount  Auburn  township,  owns  and 
operates  a  valuable  farm  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  whose  neat  and  thrifty 
appearance  well  indicates  his  careful  super- 
vision. Substantial  improvements  are  sur- 
rounded by  well  tilled  fields  and  all  the  ac- 


340 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cessories  and  com-eniences  of  a  model  farm 
are  there  found. 

Mr.  Montgomery  was  lu)rn  on  the  9th 
of  August,  1849,  in  Sangamon  county,  Jhi- 
nois,  and  is  a  son  of  J^lm  ''I'ld  Sarah  (Sni- 
der) Montgomery.  On  the  paternal  side 
our  suhjcct  is  of  Irish  de.scent,  his  great- 
grandfather, J.  R.  Montgomery,  having  been 
horn  in  Ireland  in  1790.  Having  served  un- 
der the  Hritish  crown  in  the  English  army 
and  growing  tired  of  army  life  and  also  hav- 
ing heard  of  the  splendid  possibilities  for  a 
voung  man  in  America,  he  deserted  and 
came  to  this  country.  John  Montgomery, 
our  sul)ject's  father,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, May  24,  181 7,  and  in  early  manhood 
married  Sarah  Snider,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Maryland,  January  26,  1821.  It  was  in 
1848  that  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  after 
living  in  Sangamon  county  for  some  years 
they  took  u])  their  residence  in  Christian 
county  in  i860. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  principally 
educated  in  the  Montgomery  district  school 
of  this  county  and  he  remained  under  the 
])arental  roof  until  twenty-four  years  of  age. 
Since  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  he  has 
engaged  in  farming.  His  first  i)urchase  of 
land  consisted  of  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  in 
Mosquito  township,  which  he  operated  for 
eight  years  and  then  sold,  remo\ing  to  his 
])resent  location  in  Mount  Auburn  township 
at  the  end  of  that  time.  He  rented  the  place 
until  1895,  ^vhen  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  and  has  since  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  more.  This  he  has 
under  excellent  cultivation  and  improved 
with  good  and  substantial  buildings. 

In  1874  Mr.  Montgomery  married  Miss 
Mattie  J.  Pettus  and  to  them  have  been  born 
five  children  but  Birdie  died  at  the  age  of 
four  years,  and  James  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
months.      Those  .still   living    are    Leonard, 


Harold  and  John,  rdl  at  home  with  their 
parents.  Mrs.  Montgomery  is  a  daughter 
of  George  and  Margaret  Pettus,  both  natives 
of  Virginia,  whence  they  came  to-  Illinois 
about  1840.  Her  father  was  l)orn  July  10, 
1826,  and  died  August  5,  1865,  and  her 
mother  was  born  December  14,  1823,  and 
died  December  22,  1899.  The  former  was 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Jones) 
Pettus,  l)orn  March  30,  1790,  and  Eebruary 
17,  1795.  Thomas  Pettus  died  April  2. 
18=52.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Pettus, 
whose  deatli  occurred  on  the  1 5tli  of  Octo- 
ber, 1824. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  j\Ir.  Mont- 
gomery a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles 
and  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs. 
In  his  farming  operations  he  has  met  with 
the  success  that  usually  follows  the  industri- 
ous and  enterprising  man  and  he  is  held 
in  high  regard  by  all  who  know  him. 


JOHN    S.    BILYEU. 

Among  the  leading  citizens  of  Christian 
county  none  is  more  deserving  of  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume  than  the  gentleman 
whose  name  introduces  tliis  sketch.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  extensixe  landowners  of 
Prairieton  township  and  in  his  farming 
operations  is  meeting  with  excellent  success. 
Throughout  life  he  h.as  engaged  in.  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  now  makes  his  home  on 
section  9,  Prairieton  township,  the  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  his  place  giving  evi- 
dence of  his  careful  supervision.  He  has 
l)een  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1841 
and  has  therefore  seen  almost  its  entire 
growth  and  development. 

Mr.  r>ilycu  was  born  in  jMiller  county, 
Missouri,  on  the  21st  of  January,  1834,  but 
was  only  three  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
returned  to  Illinois.     Plis  father,  John  H. 


MR.   AND   MRS.  JOHN   S.    BILYEU 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


345 


Bil}eu,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  from 
that  state  removed  to  Tennessee  with  his 
father,  Peter  Bilyeu,  who  was  of  French 
descent.  There  his  youth  was  passed  and 
on  arriving  at  a  suitable  age  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Ehzabeth  Workman, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  The 
young  couple  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Sangamon  county,  where  Mr.  Bilyeu  car- 
ried on  farming  for  several  years.  They 
then  removed  tO'  Miller  county,  Missouri, 
but  after  living  in  that  state  for  four  years 
they  removed  to  Sangamon  county  in  1837, 
and  a  few  years  later  Mr.  Bilyeu  entered 
and  bought  land  on  Flat  Branch,  now  com- 
prised within  the  limits  of  Prairieton  town- 
ship, Christian  county.  Here  he  opened  up 
a  farm  of  over  twehe  hundred  acres  and  to 
its  improvement  and  cultivation  devoted  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  passing  away  on  the 
15th  of  jNIay,  1867.  His  wife,  who  long- 
survived  him,  died  on  the  21st  of  Septem- 
ber, 1900.  In  their  family  were  nine  sons 
and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  reached 
years  of  maturity,  but  three  sons  and  two 
daughters  are  now  deceased. 

John  S.  Bilyeu  remained  under  the  par- 
ental roof  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
early  becoming  familiar  with  the  labors  of 
the  farm,  while  his  literary  education  was 
obtained  in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood. 
On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  he  located 
upon  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  it  being 
a  tract  of  raw  prairie  land  about  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  extent,  and  he  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  convert  it  into  a  well  cultivated 
farm.  He  was  a  young  man  of  industrious 
habits,  and  his  diligence,  good  management 
and  excellent  business  ability  soon  brought 
him  success.  He  fenced  and  tiled  his  land 
and  made  many  other  improvements  there- 
on, and  as  time  passed  he  added  to  his  prop- 
ertv  until  he  now  owns  seven  hundred  acres 


and  has  one  of  the  best  homes  in  the  town- 
ship. 

On  the  22(1  of  January,  1854,  Mr.  Bilyeu 
married  Miss  IMelinda  Workman,  a  native 
of  Illinois  and  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Work- 
man, who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Christian  county.  By  this  union  the  follow- 
ing children  have  been  born  :  John  H.  J., 
who  is  married  and  follows  farming  in  this 
county;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  David  Work- 
man, of  this  county;  Josiah,  who  is  also 
married  and  follows  farming  in  Christian 
county;  Elizabeth  and  Peter,  both  deceased; 
Lydia,  wife  of  William  O.  Workman,  a 
farmer  of  this  county;  Hiram  and  Edmund, 
who  are  married  and  engaged  in  farming  in 
this  county;  Isaac,  at  home  with  his  parents; 
and  six  others  now  deceased.  The  family 
hold  membership  in  the  Christian  church 
and  are  people  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity where  they  reside.  By  his  ballot 
Mr.  Bilyeu  supports  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  for  three  terms 
served  as  road  commissioner.  In  all  the 
relations  of  life  he  has  been  found  true  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  him  and  he  justly  de- 
serves the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held. 
In  business  affairs  he  is  prompt,  energetic 
and  notably  reliable  and  to  these  qualities 
mav  be  attributed  his  success. 


EDWARD  J.   RFIODES; 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Chris- 
tian county  appears  the  name  of  Edward  J. 
Rhodes,  who  is  serving  for  the  second  term 
of  four  years  as  circuit  clerk.  He  is  a  capable 
official,  prompt  and  reliable  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  and  ever  meeting  every  obliga= 
tion  which  devolves  upon  him.  A  native  son 
of  Illinois,  his  birth  occurred  in  Pana  on  the 
6th  of  November,  1865,  his  parents  being- 
Amos    A,    and    Dora   (Jageman)    Rhodes. 


34G 


PAST-AI\D  PRESENT 


Back  to  an  early  epoch  in  colonial 
history  in  America  can  the  ancestry 
of  the  family  he  traced.  A  great- 
great-grandfather  of  (inr  snhiect  was 
Hezekiah  Rhodes,  Avho  fought  for  the  inde- 
l^endence  of  the  colonies  in  the  Rcvnlnlion.'iry 
war.  1  Ic  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  Jesse 
Rhodes,  the  great-grandfather  of  onr  sul)- 
jcct,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolin:i,  hut  lie- 
came  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Shelby 
county.  Illinois,  and  was  actively  interested 
in  the  early  develojjment  and  progress  of 
that  portion  of  the  state.  He  left  the  im- 
press of  his  individuality  for  good  upon  the 
work  of  advancement,  his  labors  Ijeing  prac- 
tical and  beneficial.  He  was  one  of  the  com- 
missioners appointed  by  the  governor  to  se- 
lect a  site  for  the  county  seat  of  Macon 
county  and  chose  the  site  of  Decatur  for 
this  purpose.  A  Democrat  in  his  political 
views,  he  was  honored  with  a  number  of  pul)- 
lic  i)ositions,  the  duties  of  which  he  fully 
discharged  most  capably.  His  son  James 
M.  Rhodes,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject. 
was  born  in  W^ilson  county,  Tennessee,  and 
Amos  A.  Rhodes,  the  father  of  our  subject. 
was  a  nati\c  of  Shelby  covmty,  Illinois,  born 
on  the  23d  of  May,  1841.  Well  worthy 
of  mention  as  a  valued  citizen  of  Illinois 
Amos  A.  Rhodes  is  represented  on  another 
]iage  of  this  volume. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Pana.  Edward 
J.  Rhodes  acquired  his  education  and  after 
])utting  aside  his  text  books  he  accepted  a 
position  as  deputy  circuit  clerk  under  his 
father,  who  was  then  filling  the  office  in 
Christian  county,  Illinois.  This  was  in  1884 
and  he  served  for  four  years  under  his  father 
and  for  one  year  under  Joseph  R.  Edmonds, 
his  father's  successor.  On  the  expiration  of 
his  present  term  Mr.  Rhodes  will  have  been 
connected  with  the  office  for  twenty  years 
with    the    exception    of   a    period    of   three 


years  w  lien  his  time  was  spent  as  a  book- 
keeper for  the  Taylorvillc  Coal  Company. 
On  lea\ing  tliat  em])loy  he  became  deputy 
clerk  under  W.  B.  Cashin.  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  four  years  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  was  elected  to  the  office,  in 
which  he  has  served  continuously  since. 
After  four  years  sjjcnt  in  the  office  he  was 
re-elected,  so  that  his  ])resent  term  will  con- 
tinue until  December,  1904.  Mr.  Rhodes 
has  long  been  recognized  as  a  very  active, 
prominent  and  influential  factor  in  political 
circles.  He  has  always  given  his  allegiance 
to  the  Democracy,  taking  an  actixe  part  in 
local  politics,  laboring  for  the  success  of  his 
])arty  and  exerting  his  influence  in  its  con- 
ventions for  the  nomination  of  men  best 
(|ualified  for  office.  He  has  been  a  delegate 
to  the  county  and  judicial  conventions  and 
his  opinions  carry  weight  in  their  councils. 
In  1888-9  Mr.  Rhodes  served  as  city  clerk 
of  Taylorville  and  his  official  career  has 
always  been  attended  by  the  highest  measure 
of  success,  owing  to  his  unfaltering  fidelit)' 
to  duty.  He  is  systematic  and  methodical 
in  his  work  and  has  performed  all  public 
service  in  a  manner  that  has  won  him  tlie 
commendation  of  the  opposition  as  well  as 
of  his  own  political  party. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1886,  occurred 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Rhodes  and  Miss  Mary 
Kittle,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Car- 
penter) Kittle.  Her  father  was  coroner  of 
Christian  county  for  four  years.  Mrs. 
Rhodes  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  children, 
namely:  Millie,  the  wife  of  (i.  W.  Long. 
of  Beecher  City.  Illinois;  Carrie  \...  who  is 
living  in  Taylorville;  Ella,  the  widow  of 
John  W.  Hamer  of  Shelbyville,  Illinois; 
Minnie,  the  wife  of  John  C.  Stamm  of 
Pana;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  our  subject. 
The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhodes  has 
been    blessed    with    four   children :      Aimee, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


347 


born  January  ii,  1888;  Stella  M.,  born  April 
10,  1889;  Dora  S.,  December  i,  1891 ;  and 
Haslemere,  July  15/  1894.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rhodes  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  in  Taylorville  and  occupy  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles.  His  social  rela- 
tions connect  him  with  Taylorville  Lodge, 
No.  413,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Birchwood  Camp,  No. 
130,  M.  W.  A.;  Peerless  Lodge,  No.  42, 
A.  O.  U.  W. ;  the  Royal  Neighbors  and  the 
Red  Men.  He  has  served  in  all  the  ap- 
pointive and  elective  positions  in  the  Odd 
Fellows  lodge  except  that  of  Noble  Grand. 
He  is  likewise  a  member  of  Phenix  Club,  a 
social  organization  of  Taylorville.  A  man 
of  pleasing  personality,  he  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the*  popular  and  valued  citizens  of 
Taylorville  and  enjoys  in  a  high  measure  the 
regard,  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow 
men. 


S.  D.  MOORE. 

The  business  development  of  any  town 
or  city  does  not  depend  upon  the  efforts  of 
a  single  individual,  but  results  from  the  com- 
bined labors  and  enterprise  of  many.  There 
is,  however,  usually  a  few  who  are  leaders 
and  who  know  best  how  to  utilize  not  only 
their  own  energies  but  so  direct  the  lalDors 
of  others  as  to  produce  results  of  far-reach- 
ing importance  in  mercantile  life.  Such  a 
one  is  S.  D.  Moore,  a  man  of  affairs,  strong 
in  his  discrimination  and  sound  in  his  judg- 
ment. He  has  been  the  promoter  of  many 
enterprises  of  vast  importance  to  Assump- 
tion and  is  to-day  a  prominent  representative 
of  coal  mining  interests  in  central  Illinois. 

Mr.  Moore  is  a  native  of  Scott  county, 
Illinois,  born  on  the  28th  of  November,  1844. 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Lucy  (Hudson) 
Moore,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
the  latter  of  Kentucky.    In  their  family  were 


three  children.  The  brother  of  our  subject 
was  George  Thomas  Moore,  who  was  killed 
in  the  Civil  war  in  front  of  Atlanta.  The 
sister  Mary  is  now  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Israel, 
of  Whitehall,  Greene  county,*  Illinois. 

S.  D.  Moore  acquired  a  public-school  edu- 
cation, beginning  his  studies  in  a  log  school 
building  which  was  furnished  with  slab 
seats.  The  greater  part  of  his  education, 
however,  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools 
of  Whitehall.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
responded  to  his  country's  call  for  aid, 
prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  that  was 
manifested  in  loyal  and  eft'ective  service  in 
behalf  of  the  Union  cause.  He  enlisted  in 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany I,  Ninety-first  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try and  served  for  almost  three  years  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Dennis  and  Colonel 
H.  F.  Day.  He  participated  in  a  number  of 
important  engagements,  including  the  latter 
part  of  the  siege  of  Vicksburg^and  the  battle 
of  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky.  He  was  there 
taken  prisoner  by  John  Morgan  and  was  in 
the  Red  river  expedition  but  did  not  par- 
ticipate in  the  fight.  His  company  crossed 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  landed  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Rio  Grande  river  and  proceeded  up 
that  stream  in  order  to  capture  Fort  Brown 
at  Brownsville,  Texas.  The  men  afterward 
went  to  Mobile,  Alaljama,  and  Mr.  Moore 
participated  in  the  siege  of  that  city  for  thir- 
teen days.  During  the  war,  because  of  his 
excellent  penmanship,  he  was  given  charge 
of  the  pay  rolls  and  did  much  clerical  work 
in  connection  with  the  army.  After  the  close 
of  hostilities  he  was  mustered  out  at  Mobile, 
Alabama,  and  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  Camp  Butler  at  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, in  1865. 

Mr.  Moore  then  returned  to  his  home  in 
Greene  county  and  on  the  28th  of  March, 
1867,  he  was  married  and  removed  to  Ma- 


348 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


con  county,  Jlliimis.  There  he  purchased 
a  farm  north  of  the  village  of  Macon  and 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  about 
1874,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  vil- 
lage and  purchased  a  lumberyard,  which 
he  conducted  until  1883.  In  that  year  he 
came  to  Assumption  and  joined  B.  F.  Hight 
in  the  organization  of  a  private  bank,  which 
was  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Bank 
of  Assumption  by  flight  &  Moore.  On 
the  I  St  of  March,  1894,  the  Merchants'  Bank 
was  organized  and  on  the  ist  of  July,  1897, 
these  two  institutions  were  consolidated  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Illinois  State  Bank.  At 
this  time  Mr.  Moore's  connection  with  the 
banking  business  ceased  and  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  management  of  a  brick  and 
tile  factory,  in  which  he  had  previously  be- 
come interested.  He  devoted  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  the  operation  of  this 
enterprise  until  the  incorporation  of  the 
Brick,  Tile  &  Electric  Light  Company  with 
C.  C.  Corzine  as  its  president.  Mr.  Moore 
is  now  one  of  the  leading  stockholders  of 
that  company  and  is  also  one  of  its  directors. 
He  is  now  actively  and  extensively  connected 
\vith  the  development  of  the  coal  interests 
of  central  Illinois. 

The  Assumption  Coal  &  Mining  Company 
owes  its  origin  to  a  suggestion  made  by 
Joseph  Edmunds  of  the  company  who  men- 
tioned the  idea  while  Mr.  Moore  was  in  the 
bank.  Entering  that  institution  he  made  a 
remark  about  sinking  a  shaft.  Mr.  Moore 
and  Mr.  Hight  afterward  discussed  the  sug- 
gestion and  ]\Ir.  Hight  drew  up  the  papers 
in  order  to  get  the  enterprise  in  working  or- 
der, while  Mr.  Moore  took  upon  himself  the 
task  of  securing  subscribers,  who  would  pur- 
chase stock.  He  was  very  successful  in  the 
undertaking  and  a  short  time  afterward  the 
company  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of 
fortv  thousand  dollars.     After  the  business 


was  placed  in  (ii)eratinn  T.  j.  Armstrong,  a 
most  thormigh  and  competent  man,  was  em- 
ployed as  superintendent  and  he  remained 
^^■ith  the  company  for  four  years.  Upon  his 
suggestion  Mr.  Moore  went  out  upon  the 
road,  selling  tlic  ])roduct  of  tlie  nunc  in  car- 
load lots.  T]ns  was  entirely  new  business  to 
him,  l)ut  he  \vas  very  successful  in  placing 
orders  in  the  small  towns  all  along  the  line 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1899,  in  company  with  his  son,  J.  D. 
Moore,  of  Decatur,  and  E.  G.  Rasbach, 
of  Chicago,  he  purchased  land  in  William- 
son county  near  Johnston  City  for  mining 
purposes  5nd  commenced  sinking  a  shaft 
there  in  June,  1900.  There  is  now  a  hoist- 
ing and  air  shaft.  The  company  was  organ- 
ized and  incorporated  under  the  state  laws 
as  the  New  Virginia  Coal  Company,  with 
Mr.  Moore  as  the  president,  his  son  as  vice 
president  and  E.  G.  Rashbach  as  secretary 
and  treasurer.  The  output  of  this  company 
is  now  about  fi\'e  hundred  tons  daily.  The 
same  company  with  Mr.  Moore  as  president; 
Judge  W.  T.  Hart,  of  Benton,  Illinois,  as 
vice  president ;  E.  G.  Rashbach  as  secretary ; 
and  W.  W.  Williams  as  treasurer;  is  nov\' 
sinking  a  shaft  in  the  town  of  Frankfort, 
Franklin  county,  Illinois,  in  which  they  have 
recently  struck  the  vein"  of  coal,  and  this 
promises  to  yield  an  excellent  output.  Mr. 
Moore  has  also  dealt  in  real  estate  for  a 
number  of  years,  purchasing  and  selling 
considerable  property  in  and  arou.nd  Eagle 
Grove,  Wright  county,  Iowa.  He  now  de- 
votes his  time  and  attention,  lKn\c\cr,  to  his 
mining  ojierations. 

Mr.  Moore  has  been  three  times  married. 
In  Greene  county,  Illinois,  he  wedded  Mary 
Doyle,  a  member  of  an  old  family  of  thai 
locality,  her  parents  being  J.  M.  and  Plenri- 
etta  (Shanklin)  Doyle.  Unto  this  union 
were  born  two  children':    J.  D.  Moore,  now^ 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


849 


a  lea(liii<4  <Iciitisl  uf  Decatur,  Illinois,  who 
married  (jcrtrude  McGill,  of  Clinton,  this 
state;  and  Mary  H.,  who  is  a  student  in 
Millikin  L'niversity  at  Decatur.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  in  August,  1883,  and  in 
1885  Mr.  Moore  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Emily  H. 
Johnson,  tlie  widow  of  Edward  Johnson. 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Corzine  and 
her  people  w'ere  early  settlers  of  Christian 
county.  By  this  marriage  there  were  also 
tw^o  children:  Lloyd,  l)orn  October  23, 
1888;  and  Emily  H.,  born  January  i,  1890. 
Mrs.  Emily  Moore  died  January  9,  1890,  and 
in  1892  Mr.  Moore  A\edded  Mrs.  Martha 
(Corzine)  Burdick.  the  widow  of  Charles 
Burdick,  and  a  cousin  of  his  second  wife. 

Mr.  Moore  and  his  present  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church.  He  has  served 
as  super\-isor  for  two  years,  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  board  for  several  years  and 
for  a  long  period  has  served  on  the  board 
of  education  in  Assumption,  ^^'hile  political 
honors  and  emoluments  have  had  little  at-' 
traction  for  him  he  is,  ne\'ertheless,  always 
willing  to  perform  his  duties  of  citizenship 
and  many  public  measures  have  benefited  by 
his  active  co-operation.  He  belongs  to  the 
Grand  Army  Post  at  Assumption.  Illinois; 
to  Bromwell  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  while 
in  Masonic  circles  he  has  attained  to  the 
Knight  Templar  degree. 

Mr.  Moore  is  not  indebted  to  fortunate 
pecuniary  or  family  advantages  received  in 
boyhood,  but  owes  his  success  to  the  fact 
that  he  fully  realized  that  the  present  and 
not  the  future  holds  his  opportunity — that 
the  successful  man  is  he  who  utilizes  his  ad- 
vantages as  the  hour  brings  them  and  does 
not  wait  for  greater  opportunities  at  a  later 
date.  He  is,  however,  always  wade-awake, 
has  quickly  recognized  business  openings  and 
as  the  years  have  advanced  has  so  directed 


his  labors  and  also  the  work  of  those  whom 
he  has  employed  that  success  in  large  meas- 
ure has  come  to  him.  His  business  methods 
have  ever  been  honorable  and  straightfor- 
ward and  will  bear  the  closest  investigation 
and  his  record  as  a  man  and  citizen  are  alike 
above  reproach. 


CHARLES  H.  HILL. 

Among  the  pleasant  rural  homes  of  Chris- 
tian county  is  that  of  Charles  H.  Hill  on 
section  23,  Rosamond  township,  the  culture 
and  artistic  taste  of  its  occupants  being  re- 
flected in  its  appointments,  while  a  gracious 
hospitality  adds  a  charm  to  its  material  com- 
forts. Here  Mr.  Hill  is  now  living  retired 
in  the  midst  of  all  that  goes  to  make  life 
worth  the  living. 

A  native  of  New  Hampshire,  he  was  born 
in  Northw^ood,  July  10,  1826,  and  is  a  de- 
scendant of  one  of  three  brothers  who  emi- 
grated from  England  to  America  in  1680 
and  established  the  Hill  family  in  the  colo- 
nies. One  of  these,  Samuel  Hill,  held  a 
grant  from  King  George  III  for  the  entire 
site  of  the  citv  of  Boston.  From  a  s^enealoo;- 
ical  history  of  the  Hill  family,  compiled  and 
published  by  Edmund  J.  Lane,  of  Dover, 
New  Hampshire,  we  learn  that  the  Hill  name 
runs  back  to  John  Rogers,  the  martyr. 

Benjamin  Hill,  the  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Brentwood,  New 
Hampshire,  and  in  early  life  married  Betsey 
Dudley,  of  Stratham,  New  Hampshire,  by 
whom  he  had  eight  children.  On  the  i8th 
of  March,  1752,  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Northwood,  New  Ham])shire,  taking 
u])  land  which  has  ever  since  been  occupied 
by  the  Hill  family,  its  jM-esent  occujjant  be- 
ing Frank  R.  Hill,  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Benjamin  and  of  the  fifth  generation  from 
him.     During  the  Revolutionary  war  Ben- 


350 


R\S'r   AXI)    I'Ki'.SRN"! 


janiin  Mill  was  drafted  tnr  scrxice  and,  not 
wishing"  liini  tn  ,g(>  alone,  liis  son,  Xicholas 
Dnillev.  also  cMilisted.  'Idie  former  was  killed 
at  Ticonderos^a  and  the  son  then  retnrned 
home,  lieir.s'  his  mother's  main  dependence. 
Xicholas  Dndlcy  Mill  was  horn  al  Brent- 
w(^(kI  Xew  Hampshire,  and  was  the  eldest 
in  his  father's  family.  He  married  Alary 
Crockett  and  to  them  were  horn  eii^ht  chil- 
dren, of  whom  John,  the  father  of  onr  snh- 
ject.  was  the  sect)nd  in  order  of  birth  and  w  a< 
horn  at  North  wood,  Xew  Hampshire.  March 
2T,  1785.  He  wedded  Aliss  Susan  Pearl, 
who  was  born  in  l-~armini;ton,  the  same  state. 
March  31,  1783.  Her  father,  Ichabod  Pearl, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Granite  state  and 
was  of  English  lineage.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Young,  was  born 
in  the  same  locality  as  her  husband  and  her 
ancestors  came  from  the  same  family.  The 
I'earl  famil\-  \\as  descended  from  the  Earl 
of  Northumberland,  who  was  the  father  of 
Lady  Jane  Grey,  who  made  claim  to  the 
throne  of  England.  In  early  life  the  parents 
of  our  subject  both  engaged  in  school  teach- 
ing but  during  the  war  of  1812  the  father 
abandoned  that  ])rofession  and  removed  to 
Middleton,  New  Hampshire,  where  he 
opened  a  store  and  ta\ern.  Idiey  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  t(3  manhodd 
and  womanhood,  namely  :  Mary  E.  wedded 
James  Wild  and  died  June  17,  t886;  John 
C.  died  in  1843:  Caroline  G.  became  the 
wife  of  Timothy  Vibbard  and  died  January 
23,  1886.  Susan  L.  married  Stephen  Ridg- 
ley,  wdio  willed  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars to  build  a  public  librar\-  in  St.  Louis 
and  it  was  named  in  honor  of  his  wife,  Susan 
Lucretia  Ridgley,  who  died  in  that  city 
March  i.  1879.  Sophronia  E.  died  in  Cam- 
l)ridge.  INIassachusetts.  November  5,  1857 
David    C.    died   August   24,    1849,   "^vhile   a 


member  of  the  senior  class  at  Dartmouth 
College.  New'  Hampshire.  George  W.-and 
Charles  H.  were  twins.  The  former  married 
Hattie  Gibson  and  died  at  Proctor.  V'ermont, 
in  April,  1900,  leaving"  a  widow  and  one 
son,  George  \V.  C.  Hill,  an  orthodox  preach- 
er of  Proctor.  Charles  H.,  our  subject,  is 
the  only  survivcn-  of  this  large  family.  When 
he  \\as  quite  young  the  family  removed  to 
Great  Falls,  New  Haiupshire.  where  the 
father  died  when  our  subject  was  only  five 
years  of  age,  lea^•ing"  the  mother  with  eight 
children  to  support. 

At  the  early  age  of  nine  Charles  H.  Hill 
began  earning  bis  own  livelihood  by  work- 
ing for  William  Shaw,  of  North  Berwick, 
Maine,  with  whorn  he  remained  for  two 
years.  He  then  went  to  Farmington,  New 
Hampshire,  where  he  spent  two  years  in 
the  emi)loy  of  Benjamin  \\'ingate  and  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period  went  to  Milton, 
the  same  state,  to  make  his  home  with  his 
uncle  Joseph  Pearl,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty.  His 
place  of  residence  then  changed  and  we  find 
him  at  Natick,  Massachusetts,  in  the  family 
of  Vice  President  Henr\'  AMlson,  who  w'as 
reared  by  an  aunt  of  our  subject,  j\Irs.  Tem- 
l)erance  Knight,  of  Farmington.  He  lived 
there  from  1846  until  1849  ^"^^  "^  Septem- 
lier  of  that  latter  year  entered  Gilmanton 
Academy,  where  he  was  a  student  for  three 
years.  In  the  winter  of  1849-50,  however, 
he  taught  school  at  Strafford,  New  Hamp- 
shire, returning  to  the  academ)-  the  follow"- 
ing  spring. 

On  the  2r)th  of  December,  1854,  in  Gil 
manton.  New  Hampshire,  ]\lr.  Hill  was 
united  in  marriage  to  ATiss  Mary  b'rances 
Morgan,  who  was  born  September  i,  1831, 
at  that  place,  and  was  the  youngest  in  a 
famih"  of  foiu"  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Her  parents   were  Jeremiah   and   Elizabeth 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,   IIJJNOIS. 


851 


(Sniitli)  Morgan,  the  former  a  native  of 
Brentwood,  New  Hampshire,  and  the  latter 
of  Ipswich.  Massachusetts.  Both  were  of 
Enghsh  descent.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill 
were  born  four  children  :  George  C.  is  a 
highly  educated  and  well  read  man,  as  well 
as  a  deep  student  and  a  natural  mechanic : 
Charles  R.  died  leaving  a  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren. George  R.  and  Bessie  W. :  Minnie  W. 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  P.  Denbow,  of  Flora, 
Illinois,  by  whom  she  has  a  daughter.  Pearl 
I. ;  and  Susan  E.  is  the  wife  of  Howard  A. 
Koogle,  of  Pana. 

For  about  ten  years  after  his  marriage 
Mr.  Hill  was  in  the  employ  of  the  firm  of 
A.  G.  Farwell  &  Company,  wholesale  flour 
merchants,  and  in  December,  1863,  was  ap- 
pointed paymaster  of  the  United  States  navy, 
wdth  headquarters  on  the  steamer  Saco  for 
three  years.  On  the  15th  of  April,  1866. 
he  left  that  position  and  was  appointed  con-, 
stable  in  Massachusetts,  serving  as  such  un- 
til 1868,  when  he  came  to  Rosemond,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  has  since  resided  and  is  now' 
living  retired.  He  has  one  of  the  best  homes 
in  the  t(jwn,  it  being  built  for  solid  comfort 
and  supplied  with  all  modern  con\'eniences, 
including  a  furnace  for  heating.  It  is  beau- 
tifully situated  ofif  the  main  road  on  section 
23,  Rosamond  township,  where  he  owns 
sixty-one  acres  of  land,  and  being  on  a  hill 
it  overlooks  a  large  portion  of  the  surround- 
ing country,  affording  a  picturesque  view- 
One  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  home 
is  its  library,  which  is  very  complete  and  con- 
tains many  works  not  commonly  found  in 
private  libraries. 

Mr.  Hill  has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  has  filled  the  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  four  years  and  notary 
public  many  years,  resigning  the  latter  posi- 
tion only  recently.  He  is  an  honored  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and 


is  also  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  while  religious- 
ly both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  active 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
stand  high  in  the  community  where  they 
have  so  long  made  their  home.  As  a  citizen, 
friend  and  neighbor  Mr.  Hill  has  always 
been  found  true  to  every  dutv  and  justly 
merits  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 


SAMUEL  J.  SNYDER. 

One  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  the 
village  of  Edinburg  is  Samuel  J.  Snyder, 
who  is  conducting  an  undertaking  estab- 
lishment and  furniture  store  there.  He  was 
born  in  Bartholomew  county,  Indiana,  (ju 
the  13th  of  September,  1854.  His  father. 
Samuel  B.  Snyder,  was  a  native  of  Cham- 
bersburg,  Pennsylvania,  born  in  the  year 
1827,  and  his  death  occurred  in  the  year 
1896.  He  wedded  Miss  Mary  Staefer,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Chambersburg,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
four  of  who'm  are  now  li\ing:  Simon,  who 
resides  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Indiana; 
Hannah,  the  wife  of  James  Lane  of  Edin- 
burg; Barbara,  the  wife  of  John  Hayes,  of 
Columbus,  Indiana ;  and  Samuel  I. 

The  last  named  was  reared  upon  the  old 
family  homestead  and  in  the  district  schools 
pursued  his  education  through  the  winter 
months  while  in  the  summer  seasons  he  as- 
sisted in  the  operation  of  the  home  place. 
When  he  was  about  fourteen  A-ears  of  as'e, 
however,  he  was  a])prenticed  to  learn  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  Columbus,  Indiana,  and 
followed  that  pursuit  for  four  vears.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  carriage  and  wagon- 
making  business  near  Taylorville,  Indiana, 
and  conducted  his  work  in  that  line  for  about 
two  years.  In  1874  he  removed  to  Grove 
City,  Illinois.  Avhere  he  established  a  carriage 
shop  which  he  conducted  until   1899,  when 


352 


PAST  WD  rRKSF.NT 


lie  purchased  the  funiiture  store  and  under- 
taking- l)usiness  of  I\.  K.  Johnson  in  Edin- 
l)ur<i\  Illinois.  This  he  has  since  conducted 
with  good  success  and  during  the  period  has 
had  a  suhstantial  increase  in  trade.  I'rom 
1876  until  the  present  time  he  has  carried 
on  the  undertaking  husiness  in  connection 
with  his  other  interests  and  has  made  a  care- 
ful study  of  the  profession.  He  attended 
Professor  Sullivan's  embalming  scIk^oI  at  St. 
Louis,  also  the  school  of  Professor  Dodge 
of  Chicago  and  of  Clark  of  Indianapolis  and 
later  he  was  graduated  from  Professor  Sul- 
livan's school  of  Springfield.  He  has  also 
attended  the  instruction  school  at  Peoria, 
where  he  received  his  certificate  on  passing 
the  examinations  and  he  is  now  prepared  to 
conduct  funerals  in  a  manner  most  satisfac- 
tory to  his  patrons.  He  is  a  licensed  em- 
balmer  and  now  holds  a  license  No.  1 104. 

In  1876  ]\[r.  Snyder  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  -^liss  Luella  Burdge.  a  daughter  of 
John  S.  Burdge,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who 
was  horn  in  April.  1808.  Her  father  is  now' 
a  resident  of  North  \''ernon,  Indiana.  Unto 
Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Snyder  have  been  born  three 
children  :  Florence,  born  April  5,  1878,  is 
the  wife  of  Arthur  Barret,  a  resident  farmer 
of  iMount  Auburn  township.  Christian  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  they  have  two  children — Er- 
sel  and  ]Murlin;  ^label,  born  June  i,  1881,* 
is  the  wife  of  Sylvester  Smith,  a  school 
teacher  of  Edinburg;  Charles  A.  P..  born 
June  28.  1884,  is  assisting  his  fatlier  in  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Snyder  has  served  as  town  clerk  of 
Mount  Auburn  for  ten  or  more  years  and  he 
is  identified  with  the  Modern  Woodmen.  In 
the  county  where  he  lives  he  has  gained  a 
large  circle  of  friends,  his-  genial  manner, 
kindly  spirit  and  deference  for  the  opinions 
of  others,  making  him  popular  with  his  fel- 
low men. 


T.    1".    RUSSELL. 

When  politics  is  regarded  as  a  profession 
and  [)ul)lic  positions  are  no  longer  considered 
a  ])rize  to  lie  won  for  party  fealty  regardless 
lit  ca])a]Mlit}'  then  will  more  men  of  marked 
ability  and  worth  ei^ter  upon  the  discharge 
u\  official  duties.  There  is,  however,  no 
held  that  is  more  inviting  to  a  man  of  ability 
r.or  one  in  which  his  activity  can  be  more 
productive  of  results  of  far-reaching  im- 
portance than  that  of  politics  and  the  com- 
munity is  to  be  congratulated  on  account  of 
having  in  its  midst  one  who  gives  his  best 
energies  and  efforts  to  promoting  the  cause 
of  the  party  with  which  he  is  affiliated. 
Since  he  was  first  old  enough  to  vote  Mr. 
Russell  has  been  one  of  the  most  industrious 
and  consistent  Democrats  in  Christian  coun- 
ty and  his  efforts  have  been  of  great  value 
in  advancing  public  welfare. 

He  is  a  native  of  Pana,  Illinois,  born 
August  2,  1862.  His  grandfather  emigrated 
from  North  Carolina  to  Kentucky  and 
thence  to  Illinois,  in  1818.  locating  near 
Hillsboro,  this  state.  Both  the  father  and 
mother  of  our  subject  were  born  in  Illinois. 
In  the  common  schools  of  Pana,  T.  F.  Rus- 
sell pursued  his  early  education,  which  was 
su])plemented  Iw  a  course  in  the  normal 
school  at  A'alparaiso,  Indiana,  in  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1881. 
Being  of  a  studious  nature  he  displayed  spe- 
cial aptitude  in  the  different  branches  of 
learning  to  which  he  gave  his  attention  and 
was  especially  fond  of  history,  ancient, 
medieval  and  modern.  In  his  early  man- 
hood ^\v.  Russell  engaged  in  teaching  school 
for  one  term  and  then  entered  the  office  of 
the  C(^initv  clerk  of  Christian  county  as  a 
dci)ut}'  on  the  4th  of  August.  1884.  Since 
attaining  his  majority  he  has  been  an  active 
factor  in  political  circles  and  was  chairman 
of  the  countv  organization  of   Democratic 


i 


T.   F.    RUSSELL 


CHRISTIAN  COUr^TY,  ILLINOIS. 


3fJ5 


clu1)S  ill  iSSS.  lie  \v;is  also  chairman  of 
tlie  Democratic  count\-  central  ctjmmittee 
(Inrinq-  the  campaign  of  1892  and  he  studied 
law  while  deputy  county  clerk,  being  ad- 
mitted to  practice  at  Mount  Vernon  in 
August,  1890.  He,  however,  never  entered 
upon  active  practice,  hut  has  given  his  entire 
time  and  energies  to  the  discharge  of  of- 
ficial duties.  On  the  10th  of  January,  1893, 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state 
as  assistant  corporation  clerk  and  was  pro- 
moted to  corporation  clerk  in  the  month  of 
April.  In  April,  1894,  he  was  made  assist- 
ant secretary  of  state  with  full  charge  of 
the  office  and  occupied  that  responsihle  posi- 
tion until  September,  1897.  On  the  ist  of 
December,  1898,  he  was  appointed  private 
secretary  to  Congressman  Caldwell  and  held 
that  position  until  December  i.  1902.  In 
Noveml)er  of  that  year  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  count}'  treasurer  of  Christian 
county  for  a  term  of  four  years  so  that  he 
is  .now  filling  the  position  at  the  present 
time.  His  official  service  has  been  most 
commendable,  characterized  by  unfaltering 
fidelity  to  duty,  his  .work  being  systemati- 
cally performed  and  also  with  ])romptness 
and  dispatch.  In  April,  1903,  lie  assisted 
in  the  organization  of  the  Pana  National 
Bank  of  w  hich  he  is  the  vice  president  and 
he  still  maintains  his  residence  in  the  city 
of  his  birth. 

On  the  1 6th  of  December,  1885.  in  Tay- 
lorville,  Illinois,  Mr.  Russell  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  Lewis  and  unto 
them  have  been  born  two  children  :  W'ilvan 
and  Lewis.  Llis  political  career  has  been 
honorable,  honest  and  above  sus])icion  of 
e\il  or  liostile  criticism  and  he  has  won  high 
encomiums  from  those  whom  he  has  served 
in  the  pulilic  positions  to  wdiich  he  has  been 
chosen  by  election.  He  well  merits  the 
honors  that  he  has  ^^■on  for  he  has  put  ffjrth 


every  effort  in  his  jiower  to  ad\ance  the  gen- 
eral good  through  the  faithful  discharge  of 
the  duties  de\'ol\'ing  upon  him. 


WILLIAM  E.  BOLLINGER. 

William  E.  Bollinger,  who  follows  farm- 
ing on  section  14,  Stonington  township,  has 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Chris- 
tian county,  arriving  here  when  :i  little  lad 
of  only  nine  years.     He  w-as  born  in  Mary- 
land, fourteen  miles  from  Baltimore,  in  i860, 
a  son  of  Ephraim  Bollinger,  wdio  was  also 
a  native  of  Baltimore  county,  Maryland,  in 
Avhich  place  his  birth  occurred  on  the  24th 
of  October,    1832.     The   family  is  of  Ger- 
man  lineage,  although  the  grandparents  of 
our  subject  were  likewise  born  and  reared 
in  Baltimore  county.     Near  the  place  of  his 
birth  Ephraim  Bollinger  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  and  in  early  life  he 
learned  the  millwright's  trade,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  follow^  until  after  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war.     During  that  struggle  he  was 
employed  as  a  teamster  in  and  around  Balti- 
more and  he  continued  to  reside  in  that  state 
until   1869,  when  he  brought  his  family  to 
Illinois,  establishing  his  home  in   Christian 
county.    Here  he  secured  a  tract  of  land  and 
gave  his  entire  time  to  farming.      He  had 
started  out  in  life  empty  handed  and  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage  possessed  very  little, 
but  as  the  result  of  his  farming  operation 
in  this  state  he  won  a  \-ery  comfortable  com- 
petence.     In  the  county  of  his  nativity  he 
was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  ]\Iary  Ann 
Strewig,  who  was  born  in  that  county  Au- 
gust 2X    18^2.     Thev  became  the  parents  of 
eio-ht  children,  of  whom  Oliver  and  James 
A\'.  are  now  deceased.  •  The  daughter,  Mary 
E.,  piissed  away  in  Christian  county.     The 
rs.  Henry  C,  John  T.,  William  E.,  Dan- 


IQ 


;;;)r, 


J 'AST  AXIJ  J'RESRNT 


iel  S.  and  Samuel  \\'.,  all  reside  in  this 
eountw  Jnhn  married  Caroline  Coiiner  and 
resides  near  the  old  Immestead  farm.  Tlie 
father  was  killed  jamiarv  iS  .iS().;.  while  at- 
tempting- to  cross  the  railroad  tracks  to  look 
after  some  business.  He  was  struck  h\-  .a 
fast  train  near  the  crossing-  at  the  Stoninii- 
t(in  station  and  instantly  killed.  1  lis  remains 
were  interred  in  (Iroxe  City  cemetery. 

William  E.  Bollinger  ])ursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  this  county 
and  when  hut  ten  years  of  age  started  out 
to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  was 
employed  as  a  farm  liand  and  early  learned 
the  \alue  of  indefatigable  industry  and  un- 
tiring perserverance  in  the  afTair?  of  life. 
He  worked  for  others  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age  and  then  joining  his  father  in  his 
farming  operations  assisted  him  in  paying 
for  the  home  phice.  He  has  always  carried 
on  agricultin\'d  pursuits  and  now  lives  on 
section  14.  Stonington  township,  where  he 
has  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  is 
highlv  cultivated  and  impro\ed.  the  neat  and 
thrift)'  appearance  of  the  i)lace  being  j^n^of 
of  his  progressive  spirit. 

On  January  8,  1901,  Mr.  Bollinger  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  Salis- 
bury, a  daughter  of  Enoch  Salisbury  and  a 
native  of  Macon  county.  Illinois.  'Idiey  have 
a  little  son.  Mr.  l^>()llinger  is  a  meml>er  of 
the  Reformed  church.  At  one  time  he  served 
as  a  member  of  tlie  drainage  l)oa>d,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  jjolitical  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs. 


JOSEPH  XUTT. 

Ireland  has  furnished  man)-  worthy  citi- 
zens to  the  new-  world,  'i'he  sons  of  Erin 
are  men  of  readv  adaptabilit\-.  ])rogressive 
and   \ersatile  and  thev  have  beconie  useful 


factors  in  \arious  walks  of  lite.  Mr.  .X'ult 
is  a  re])resentati\e  of  this  class.  He  \vas 
born  in  Count)'  Antrim  in  the  north  ol  Ire- 
land in  iS3<").  a  son  of  Lowr)-  and  Sarah 
Nutt.  both  of  whom  s])ent  their  entire  lives 
in  the  Emerald  Isle.  Joseph  Xutt  remained 
there  until  twelve  years  of  age  and  then  in 
1848  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States.  He  had  attended  the  Presbyterian 
schools  of  his  native  country.  His  mother 
died  in  early  womanhood  and  because  of  this 
the  family  was  broken  up.  yir.  Nutt's  broth- 
ers and  sisters  came  with  him  to  the  United 
States,  ail  older  l)i"other  sending  theni  trans- 
])ortation  in  order  to  have  them  join  him 
in  the  new  world.  On  arriving  at  New  York 
they  iiiade  their  way  to  Xewburgh,  in  X^ew 
York. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1856  that  Mr.  Xutt 
arrived  in  Illinois,  establishing  his  home 
near  Springfield  in  Sangamon  county.  In 
that  county  he  attended  school  and  after- 
ward worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  Union  cause  and  in  1862 
he  enlisted  in  its  defense,  offering  his  services 
at  Camp  Butler  in  Springfield.  He  became 
a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  I^^^ur- 
teenth  Illinois  Infantry  under  Colonel  Judy, 
the  regiment  being  attached  to  the  command 
of  General  Sherman  at  a  later  date.  Mr. 
X'^utt  participated  in  the  battles  of  Vicksliurg. 
Jackson  and  Guntow  n.  At  the  last  narned 
he  was  captured  and  sent  to  Andersomille 
])rison,  where  he  was  incarcerated  for  six 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was 
paroled.  He  was  then  sent  north  to  An- 
napolis, IMaryland,  where  he  obtained  a  thir- 
t\-  (lavs  furlough.  This  was  spent  in  Illi- 
nois and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
went  to  the  parole  camp  at  Benton  Bar- 
ricks,  Missouri.  The  war  closed  before  he 
was  jjermitted  to  again  enter  the  army.     He 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


oOi 


suffered  i^real.  liardships  while  in  Anderson- 
ville  and  yet  1)ears  the  effects  of  his  prison 
experience  \\  hen  in  niihtary  hfe.  After  the 
cessation  of  hostihties  he  returned  to  Spring- 
field, where  he-  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. 

Mr.  Nutt  Avorked  upon  a  farm  in  Sanga- 
mon county  until  his  remoxal  to  Christian 
county  in  1868.  His  tirst  purchase  of  land 
comprised  a  tract  in  Taylorville  township, 
of  which  he  became  the  owner  in  1874.  He 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  con- 
stituting a  A'ery  A-aluable  farm,  Init  he  has 
retired  from  active  farm  life.  In  earlier 
years  he  gave  particular  attention  to  the 
raising  of  hogs  and  cattle  for  shipments  and 
this  business  brought  tO'  him  an  excellent  re- 
turn. He  greatly  improved  his  land,  fenced 
his  fields,  erected  substantial  and  commodi- 
ous buildings,  planted  trees  and  added  all 
modern  equipments  and  accessories  such  as 
are  found  upon  a  model  farm. 

Mr.  Nutt  was  married  on  the  i8th  of  De- 
cember, 1866,  to  Miss  Anna  Eliza  Bishop, 
who  was  a  native  of  Lima,  New^  York,  and 
is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  Dutch 
families  that  settled  on  ]\Ianhattan  island. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nutt  Imve  been  born 
live  children:  Hattie,  who  is  now  the  wife 
of  E.  M.  Piper,  a  farmer  of  Taylor\'ille  town- 
ship, by  whom  she  has  two  children;  J.  H., 
who  married  Anna  ]\Ielvin,  by  whom  he  has 
one  child,  and  resides  in  Millersville,  Illi- 
nois; L.  S.,  a  resident  farmer  of  South  Eork 
township,  who  married  Cora  Gore  and  has 
three  children;  Emma,  the  wife  of  J.  C. 
Potts,  by  whom  she  has  one  child;  and  H. 
T.,  who^  resides  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
in  Taylorville  township,  and  married  Le- 
nore  Nash.  In  1902  INIr.  Nutt  was  called 
upon  to  moiu'u  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died 
in  December  of  that  year  and  since  that  time 


he  has  made  his  home  with  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  E.  M.  Piper. 

In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Kcpublican  and 
for  many  years  he  served  as  scIidoI  director, 
but  has  never  been  a  ])()litician  in  the  sense 
of  office  seekmg  as  he  has  preferred  to  give 
his  energies  and  time  to  his  business  affairs. 
Whatever  he  has  undertaken  he  has  car- 
ried forward  to  successful  completion  and 
to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  Taylorville  townshi]).  He  came 
to  America  a  poor  boy  when  but  twelve 
years  of  age  and  almost  continually  since 
that  time  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
laljors  for  wdiat  he  has  had  and  enjoyed. 
His  force  of  character  has  enabled  him  to 
overcome  obstacles  and  difficulties  in  his 
path  and  to  work  his  way  steadily  upward 
from  a  humble  position  to  one  of  affluence. 


CHARLES  DWIGHT  KIRK. 

Charles  Dwdght  Kirk  is  the  proprietor  of 
the  ^^'alnut  Grove  stock  farm,  comprising 
one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Buckhart  township.  In  his  business  affairs 
he  is  capable,  energetic  and  relialile  and  has 
become  well  known  as  a  stock  dealer.  Lie 
was  born  in  Christian  county  on  the  21st  of 
April,  1858,  at  the  family  home,  which  joins 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  His 
father,  Henry  Kirk,  was  a  native  of  Akron, 
Oh.io,  and  removed  to  Christian  county 
about  1857.  He  first  purchased  a  farm  in 
Stonington  township,  which  he  afterward 
traded  for  the  old  homestead  ]ilace  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Buckhart  town- 
ship. Before  leaving  Akron,  Ohio,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah  B.  Mc- 
Farland  and  they  had  six  children,  three 
of  whom  are  now  living:  Thaddeus  D., 
howcAer,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years ; 


358 


I 'AST   AND    I'kl^SKNT 


Charles  I),  is  llie  second  «•!'  the  faiiiil\- ;  iMiinia 
became  the  wife  of  Robert  I'".  Ophn.ner  of 
Tax-lorville  and  has  two  children:  Arthnr 
I*.,  completes  the  fanulw  In  iS<'>()  Mrs.  Kirk- 
died  and  in  iS/o  Mr.  Kirk  was  aj;ain  mar- 
ried, his  second  nnion  beint;  with  Margaret 
Belle  Orr.  of  Taylorville.  They  have  three 
living  children:  Hattie.  now  the  wife  of 
Irvin  Baueiiman  of  Kdinlmrg;  (irace.  the 
wife  of  John  (i.  Hill  of  Taylorville ;  and 
Pearl  ]..  who  married  Curtis  Banghman  of 
lulinburg.  Mr.  Kirk,  the  t'ather  of  our  sub- 
ject, passed  away  in  b'ebruary.  kjoj. 

After  ac(|uiring  his  prehminary  education 
in  the  common  sch(jols  Charles  Dwight 
Kirk  attended  school  in  Taylorville.  where 
he  completed  his  education.  IK  then  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  district  schools  for 
three-vears  and  through  the  summer  months 
be  also  worked  on  a  farm.  He  was  quite 
successful  as  an  educator  because  of  the 
readiness  with  which  he  imparted  to  others 
the  knowledge  that  he  bad  acquired.  Tn 
about  1888  he  ])urchased  of  bis  father  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  old 
homestead  and  has  since  resided  thereon. 
Here  he  is  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock 
and  also  of  grain  and  bis  fields  return  to 
him  Sfolden  harvests  for  the  care  and  labor 
he  has  bestowed  upon  them. 

In  1880  Mr.  Kirk  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Addle  Lindsley.  a  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph Lindsley,  a  resident  farmer  of  Christian 
county.  Illinois.  They  ba\e  two  lixing  chil- 
dren :  Ethel  C,  born  in  1883;  and  Claude, 
born  in  1887.  They  also  lost  one  daughter. 
Lorena.  w'ho  died  in  September.  1894.  at 
the  age  of  ten  years.  The  wife  and  mother 
passed  away  in  October  of  the  same  year. 
In  November,  1895,  Mr.  Kirk  was  joined 
in  wedlock  to  Miss  Jennie  Ladd.  a  daughter 
of  Noyse  Ladd.  a  resident  farmer  of  Sharps- 
burg,   Illinois,  and  one  of  the  old   pioneer 


NCttlers  of  the  county.  Two  children  graceil 
tins  marriage:  h'sther  (  )..  born  July  30, 
|S()7;  and  ( llenn  L..  horn  in  June.   1899. 

.Mr.  Kirk  is  a  leading  and  intlnential  citi- 
zen and  his  fitness  for  olVice  led  to  his  a[)- 
l)ointment  as  townshi])  treasurer,  a  position 
wdiich  he  has  now  filled  for  about  twenty- 
two  years  in  a  most  acceptable  manner.  His 
father  also  held  the  same  office  for  eighteen 
\ears.  ^Ir.  Kirk  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Camp,  and  in  former  years  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  but 
in  1892  he  united  with  the  ^Methodist  church 
of  Grove  City.  His  life  has  ever  been  hon- 
orable and  upright,  his  actions  manly  and 
sincere  and  his  influence  has  always  been 
given  on  the  side  of  right,  of  truth  and  of 
justice. 


HENRY    HARRISON    TOBIAS. 

Assumption  owes  much  of  its  de\-elop- 
ment.  impro\'ement  and  ui)building  to  Henr}' 
Harrison  Tobias,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Tobias  &  Sons,  contractors  and 
builders,  and  also  manufacturers  of  sash, 
doors  and  blinds.  Honored  and  respected 
bv  all.  there  is  no  man  in  Assumption  who 
occupies  a  more  envialile  j^osition  in  ])ul)lic 
regard,  not  alone  because  he  has  achieved 
most  enxiable  success  l)ut  also  because  his 
business  methods  ba\-e  ever  been  such  as 
would  bear  the  most  rioid  investigation  and 
scrutinx".  He  bears  an  untarnished  name 
and  what  he  has  done  for  the  county  makes 
him  well  worthy  of  mention  among  its  rep- 
rcsentatixe  citizens. 

Afr.  Tobias  Avas  born  in  Pickaway  count}'. 
( )hio,  Ttd\'  r.  1840.  a  son  of  Da\"id  Tobias, 
who  was  a  miller  of  J'ickaway  county.  The 
grandfather  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
li\-ed  to  be  more  than  ninety  years  of  age. 
while  his  wife  reached  the  extreme  old  age 
of  ninety-eight  years.     On  coming  to  lib- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


36 1 


nois,  David  Toljias  first  located  in  Clark 
county,  whence  he  afterward  removed  to 
Tazewell  county.  There  he  purchased  an  im- 
proved farm  and  engaged  in  its  further  culti- 
vation until  he  retired  from  active  business 
life  and  took  uj)  his  abode  in  Washington, 
Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1885, 
^\  hen  he  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca 
Culp,  survi\e(l  him  for  many  years  and 
passed  away  in  El  Paso,  Illinois,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years,  after  which  her  re- 
mains were  brought  back  and  interred  by 
the  side  of  her  husband  in  the  cemetery  of 
Washington.  Bv  her  marriage  she  had  ten 
children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters : 
Daniel,  sixty-nine  years  of  age,  is  a  widower 
with  two  children  and  lives  in  El  Paso,  Illi- 
nois. John,  who  is  married  and  has  six 
children,  resides  in  Washington,  Illinois. 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Peter  vShull,  of  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  and  they  ha\^e  three  children. 
Henry  H.  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Mrs. 
Henrietta  Zaneis  resides  ir.  Chicago  and  has 
three  children.  Susie,  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  W.  Daniels.  Rebecca  is  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam King,  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  William, 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  Martha  are 
both  deceased,  and  one  died  in  infancy. 

H.  H.  Tobias  acquired  his  education  in 
the  ])ublic  schools  of  Washington,  Illinois, 
and  leaving  school  shortly  after  attaining  his 
majority,  he  enlisted  in  his  country's  serv- 
ice, joining  Company  B,  Forty-seventh  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  D. 
L.  Miles  and  Colonel  Br3aier  of  Peoria.  Idie 
date  of  his  enlistment  was  August  16,  1861, 
and  the  first  winter  was  spent  at  Jefferson 
City,  Missouri.  Although  he  participated 
in  twenty-one  engagements,  some  of  which 
were  hotly  contested,  he  ne\er  received  a 
wound,  although  his  hat  was  pierced  bv  a 
bullet    which   grazed   the   skin   of  his   head- 


He  served  for  three  years  and  two  months 
and  was  honorably  discharged  October  ir, 
1864. 

On  his  return  to  Washington,  Illinois, 
Mr.  Tobias  learned  the  carriage  making 
trade  with  his  oldest  brother  Daniel.  He 
was  married  in  1865  and  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming,  after  which  he  removed 
to  El  Paso,  Illinois.  In  October,  1873.  he 
arrived  in  Christian  county,  Illinois.  Set- 
tling in  Assumption  he  opened  a  small  car- 
riage sho])  In  connection  with  a  partner, 
John  Hildebrand,  who  is  now  deceased.  In 
1885  he  turned  his  attention  to  contracting 
and  building  and  has  since  gained  a  fore- 
most place  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  are 
identified  with  building  viperations  in  this 
county.  Many  of  the  substantial  business 
blocks  and  the  residences  in  Assumption  and 
the  surrounding  country  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  skill  :'.nd  enteqirise.  About 
1893  1^^  established  .1  mill  for  the  purpose  of 
manufacturing  sash,  doors  and  blinds  and 
other  material  used  in  their  construction 
work.  At  the  time  the  mill  was  put  in  oper- 
ation Mr.  Tobias  admitted  his  sons,  E.  A. 
and  I.  L.  Tobias,  to  a  partnership  under  the 
firm  style  of  Tol)ias  &  Sons  and  theirs  is  to- 
day one  of  the  leading  business  enterprises 
in  the  county. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1865.  Mr.  To- 
bias was  united  in  n.iarriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Elizabeth  Gosney,  the  wedding  taking  place 
in  W^ashlngton,  Illinois.  The  lady  was  born 
in  Kentucky  in  1839,  and  when  a  child  was 
brought  to  this  state  by  an  older  sister,  being 
reared  and  educated  in  Tazewell  countv. 
Unto  this  marriage  bave  been  born  five  chil- 
dren, but  twins  died  in  infancy.  The  living- 
are  as  follows:  E.  A.,  who  Is  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Tobias  &  Sons,  married  Delia 
Howard  and  with  his  wife  and  five  children 
resides  m  Assuuiption.     Stella  is  the  wife  of 


302 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


W'illiain  Mol\iii,L;lil.  of  C"!;iy  cmiiity,  llliimis. 
aiul  they  lia\c  tlvj  childrcp.  I.  1...  llic 
Nouiii^'csl  iiKMiilicr  n\  ilic  rn-iii,  is  a  iialural 
architccl.  After  coiii])lctiii,L;  liis  imblic- 
scIiodI  course  lie  pui'Mied  a  tix'c  years  course 
of  stiul\-  tlirou,i;li  the  corrcspoiuhn^-  school 
of  Scraulon,  renusx  Ivania.  and  in  Sei)leni- 
her.  Kjci^.  receixed  his  dijilonia.  uKikini;-  a 
\er\-  hij^h  record  in  !)is  work,  lie  draws  all 
(»l  the  plans  of  the  firm  and  is  lart;-ely  asso- 
ciated with  M.  (i.  Ta.tterson,  an  architect  of 
Decatur.  Thex-  were  associated  in  the  draw- 
iui^-  oi  the  plans  for  the  high  school  huildin^' 
of  Decatur  and  other  exidcnces  of  his  ahil- 
itv  are  seen  in  uian\-  fine  structures  in  .\s- 
suniption  and  other  parts  ol  the  count_\\ 
'Die  firni  erected  St.  .Mary's  .\cadeniy,  a 
L'atholic  scliool.  and  other  jjuhlic  Iniildings 
in  .\ssuniption  and  their  hnsiness  is  cxten- 
si\e  and  proritahle.  The  xoung'cr  son  was 
nian-ied  in  iS(;7  to  .Miss  Mao-o-ie  Lavit^ne. 
and  to  them  were  horn  two  children. 

II.  11.  Tohias  was  reared  in  the  faith  of 
the  Democratic  party,  hut  is  now  a  Repuh- 
lican.  lie  helon^s  to  the  ( irand  Army  Post 
at  Assuiiii)tion  and  thus  maintains  jileasant 
relations  with  his  old  arm\-  comrades.  .\s 
an  earl\'  citizen  i^\  the  county  he  has  heeii  a 
witness  of  its  (le\"elopment  since  the  country 
was  l:u"!;ely  coxered  willi  ^louj^hs  and  ponds 
and  has  been  deeply  interested  in  its  im- 
provement. Alonj;'  snlistantial  lines  he  has 
contributed  to  its  upbuilding;'  and  to-day  lie 
is  one  of  the  prominent  factors  in  industrial 
circles.  The  reputation  of  the  rirm  is  unas- 
sailable and  their  business  is, a  potent  factor 
in  the  commercial  actixity  wherein  the  -pros- 
perity and  continued  xx cll-beint;"  of  exerx' 
C(^mmunity  depends. 


W.  E.  ALLISON. 


W.    E.    jMlison.    passenger    and     freight 
a^ent  for  the  Illinois  Central -Railroad  Com- 


])an\-  at  .\ssuni])tioii,  is  one  of  the  ])rogressive 
citizens  of  the  town  and  has  txxice  served 
as  max'or.  in  public  aiYairs  he  has  l)een 
most  active  in  behalf  of  general  jmjgress 
and  improxement  and  his  administration  as 
chief  executive  of  Assumption  was  most 
business-like.  He  was  born  on  the  9th  of 
I'A'bruary,  1860,  a  son  of  C.  A\'.  and  Sarah 
j.  (Jones)  Allison.  His  mother  was  a  rep- 
resentative of  an  old  American  family  of 
Kentucky.  Unto  C.  W.  and  Susan  Allison 
xxere  born  three  children,  of  xxhom  \V.  E. 
is  the  eldest.  I  lis  brother.  I'^rank  A.,  is  now 
telegraph  operator  at  iVssumption,  and  j. 
M.  Allison  is  agent  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  at  Vandalia,  Illinois. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Aetna,  Illinois, 
\V.  E.  Allison  ac(iuircd  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation, which  was  supjilemented  by  study  in 
a  private  school  in  Loxa,  Illinois.  He  after- 
xvard  engaged  in  teaching  for  four  terms  in 
Aetna  and  was  also  identilied  xvith  educa- 
tional interests  in  J>oxa  and  in  janesville. 
In  1883,  howexer,  he  put  aside  tb.e  work  of 
the  schoolroom  and  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com]~»any  at 
Kappa,  Illinois,  xx  here  he  remained  for  two 
years.  In  July,  1885,  he  came  t(^  his  pres- 
ent position  in  Assumption  and  has  since 
been  passenger  and  freight  agent  at  this 
jilace.  He  learned  telegraphy  and  has  made 
his  serxices  of  much  value  to  the  corpor- 
ation xvhich  he  represents.  He  is  a  popular 
agent,  alxvays  courteous  to  the  patrons  of 
the  road  and  his  ol)liging  manner  and  busi- 
ness-like methods  have  gained  for  him  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all  xx  ith  xxhom  he  has 
come  in  contact,  throtigh  the  exercise  of  his 
official  duties.  He  has  also  become  inter- 
ested in  business  enterprises  of  importance 
and  -is  now  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the 
National  Manufacturing  c^  Electric  Light 
Company  of  .\ssuiuption.     As  his  financial 


CilKiSTlAN  COL'^'T^■.   II.I.IXOIS.  ;{«'- 

1  osouiccs  lia\  c  iiuM'caM'il  lu'  has  ;ilso  in\  cstcd  rcarnl    m   iliai    ri'mitr).   wIumh-  Ik-   tciiiaim'»l 
111   real   estate  and   ti>  ila\    owns  cK-mmi   liiiii  until  twenty  tour  years  <il  aj^e,  and  in    iS|S 
died  acres  ot"  -^tuul    lanuin.L;   land   in    Texas,  lie  hade  adieu  to  I'neuds  and  native  land  and 
loi^ether   with  .me  nt   the  hest    residenees   in  sailed    Inr    America,    aiiiviui;    at     Xew    Or- 
Assuiiintion.  leans  after  a  \i)yai;c  nl   six  weeks  and  one 
(  ^u  the  7lh  ol"  (  >ctol)er.    1SS5.   Mi,    Mhson  da\.       lie   had   puisued   his  education    in   the 
was   nulled   111   marriage   to    Miss    Louisa    1'"..  sch.«ols  ni   hai^land  and  he  also  eui^ai^ed   in 
N'eriou.  a  daus^hter  ol  ( ;eori;e  A.  and   M.   \\.  Ica.hiu-  there.      Alter  arriviui;-  in  this  conn 
Nerion  ot'  ixappa.    lllni.Ms.      She  is  one  ol'  a  fv-    l>"wever,    he  secured   eniplov  nieni    as  a 
l"ainilv   i^\    eiLdit    children   and    i^   the  second  l";i''n    lian<l    and    also    en<;a.ued     m    niakini;- 
,11  order  ol   hirlli  oi    those  now    Iiviii-.      T-v  '""'j'^   h"'   ''•■>>    presses,   at    which   he   earned 
her  niarria-e  she  has  heconie  the  mother  of  l"ur   doll.ars   and   ;i    h.alf   per   day.      Me    fol 
tw..  children:     Cleo  and  ( ieor.ue   i'.dward.  '"^ved  this  pursuit   for  one  vear  and  then  re- 
Mr.  .\llison  artiliates  w  ith  tlie  1  ndepeudent  turned    to    I'.n.uland    for   his   wife.      In    1S51 
(Ar,ler  of  (\\i\  I'cllows  .and  -ives  his  political  ''^'  ■•>,^->''i  ^•:""^'  <"  ''"-^  country  and  secured  a 
support    to   the    Kcpuhlican    partv.      lie   is   a  Position    .as    forem.ni    on    ;i    f.arm    m    jersey 
reco-ni/ed  leader  m  local  political  ranks  an. I  ^'""lUy.   llliu.MS.  m  the  employ  ..f  a  .Mr.  Tri 
lia.  lieen  honored  with  several  positions.     Me  '''^'-        ''''^'l    '"-'    K'^ive    excellent     satisf.aclion 
served  as  a   memher  of   the  town   I'o.ard    for  •■'"*'  ^njoye.l  the  entire  conlidence  .and  trust 
two  terms,   has  hecn   m.iyor  of   .\ssumption  "'  '"^  cmi)loyer  is  iiidicited  l>y  the  fact  thai 
and  has  heen  .a  memher  of  the  school  hoard  ''^'  "^vupied  that  position  for  nineteen  years, 
for  .several  years.      lie  was   servino-  ,.n   the  \t  '''^'  ^""•l  •''  ^''-'^  t""^'-  ''■'^'".-  invested  his 
town  Imard'at  the   time  the  ..rdinance   was  ^'^I'lnn-s  in  red  estate,  he  was  the  owner  of 
passed  prnvi(hn-  for  the  li-htin-  ,.f  Assnmi)  »^^"  .^""<1  '•""'i^^  •""'  ''^'  "'^■"  ^'^-'"'  ^vorkiu.i; 
tion    l.v    eleclncitv.       lie    has    witnesse.l    the  l"<  "•  himsel  f.     (  hie  farm  w  as  I.  .cale.l  in  .South 
development  of  tins  place   from  a  .small   vil-  '''"'^   township.  Christian  county,   and  upon 
la-e  and  with  .a   rec-mtio,,   of  its  possihiL  t'^'^   '^^'  •"•''^    ^'1'   '"^   .-.hodc      Later   he   put- 
ilies   and  a   desire    for   its    future  permanent  ^-l'^^^^*'  •'"   ^;'^^"'^^  ^^'^■'""^  "'    ''""'   '';"'   ''^-•^" 
de\eloi)ment    he  has   lahored  so  that   his  el- 


raisinj.;'  stock — mules,  horses  and  sheep.    ( )n 


forts  ,n  co-nperatiou   with  others  have  pro-  l'^^'    '3^1'   "'    •\^'-"-^^-    '^'^'^'    ''^^   '•^•"<"vc<l    U 

duced  excellent  results.     Jle  and  his  familv  ''■^'vlorville  and  eslahlished  the  livery  stahle 

are  memi.ers  n\  the  l-irst  l^re.shyterian  church  ''^''^'^^  ''^'  '^^^'^  conducts.      I  le  also  hnys  and 

1  11  1  1       .-  (1  shins  mules  and  horses.      In  his  husMiess  af- 

and  .arc  well  known  ])eoi)le  ot  the  commmi-  ■"'!'• 

•,      1    1  ,    •      1  •    1       ,x  1        .  r   4i     •  fairs  he  h.as  heen  \erv  successlul  and  to-da\ 

it\    held   ill  hi.<;h   esteetn   hy   reason  oi   then  •  _  • 

.1  '  owns  ahout    four  hundred  acres  ot    \aluahle 

!:;enume   worth. 

land    in    Christian   county.      lie  has  always 

heen   interested   in   the  raisin^'  ot    stock   and 

JOSEPH   \\'.\Uh:il.\M.  in  this  hranch  of  his  husiness  has  heen  ])ar 

Joseph  W.areh.am.  the  jiroprietor  of  a  liv-  ticniarly  snccessfiik 

ery  st.ahle  in  Taylorville.  was  horn  June  4.  In     i!^4'^>    Mi'-    Wareham    was    united    in 

1824.    in    Dorsetshire,     haii^land,    a    son    of  marri.a^e  to  .Miss  hdi/a  Simms.  a  native  of 

Daniel    and    hanm.i    Wareham.      His    father  l'ai,<^1and,  :nid   unto  them   were  horn   eleven 

was  a  woodman  of  Kniiland     The  son  was  children,   of   whom   two   :ire   lixinn':      JM-e.l- 


364 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


erick  J.  is  now  married  ami  resided  upon  his 
father's  farm  until  January  i,  1904,  when 
he  moved  to  Taylorville  and  assumed  charge 
of  his  father's  hvery  stable.  l'"mily  is  now 
tli^  wife  of  Charles  Lockwood.  a  resident  of 
Riverside,  California. 

In  1893  Mr.  Wareham  remo\cd  with  lii> 
famil}-  to  L'alifornia,  where  he  owned  and 
operated  a  ranch.  He  made  all  of  the  im- 
])rovements  upon  it  and  continued  to  con- 
duct the  place  until  iS(;5.  when  his  wife 
died.  He  then  i^ave  the  ranch  to  his  daugh- 
ter and  came  to  Taylorville,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  Mrs.  Wareham  was 
a  most  estimal)le  lady  and  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr. 
Wareham  also  belongs  to  that  church  and 
his  life  has  ever  been  in  consistent  harmony 
with  its  teachings.  In  politics  he  is  an  ear- 
nest Republican  and  his  fellow  townsmen 
have  honored  him  with  a  number  of  local 
positions,  recognizing  his  worth  and  aliility. 
He  served  as  supervisor  for  fifteen  years  in 
Macoupin  county  and  was  the  justice  of  the 
peace  in  South  Fork  township.  As  a  self- 
made  man  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily 
upward,  his  life  demonstrating  that  oppor- 
tunity is  always  open  to  the  young  man  of 
determination  and  energy  who  -is  not  afraid 
of  hard  work.  He  had  only  ten.  cents  in 
money  when  he  and  his  wife  landed  in  this 
country,  but  he  jKJSsessed  a  strong  heart  and 
willine"  hands  and  scorned  no  honest  em- 
ployment  that  would  yield  him  a  living. 
Ch-adually  he  added  to  his  possessions  and 
as  the  years  have  passed  he  has  gained  a 
])lace  among  the  substantial  residents  of  his 
adopted  county,  being  now  the  ])ossessor  of 
valuable  property  interests. 


D.  T.  DAVIS. 

Through   the  years-  of   his   identification 
with  Christian  county  1).  T.  Dax'is  cnio\'ed 


the  highest  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens  and 
his  death,  wliich  occurred  January  5,  1893, 
was  deeply  mourned.  I  ie  was  born  in  \\'ar- 
ren,  Pennsyhania.  on  the  jOth  of  January, 
1818.  and  was  a  son  of  [ohn  S.  Davis,  in 
wiiose  family  were  seven  children,  six  sons 
dud  one  daughter.  Df  this  number  only  one 
is  now  li\ing,  A.  L.  Davis,  a  j^rominent 
business  man  of  Princeton,  Bureau  ccjunly, 
Illinois,  now  in  California. 

Oiu"  subject  received  a  good  practical  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  scIkjoIs  of  Warren 
countv,  Penns\"l\ania,  and  the  knowdedge 
there  acquired  was  greatly  supplemented  by 
reading  and  study  in  later  years.  He  was 
fond  of  good  literature  and  in  his  readings 
kept  up  with  the  times.  This  made  him  a 
good  conversationalist  and  an  entertaining 
companioii.  During  his  boyhood  he  learned 
the  pattern-maker's  trade  m  the  east  and 
became  a  skilled  mechanic,  perfecting  sev- 
eral good  paying  patents  on  machinery.  ' 

Leaving  P'ennsylvania,  ]\Ir.  Davis  re- 
moved to  Princeton,  Bureau  county,  Illinois. 
at  an  early  day.  and  after  working  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  for  a  time  engaged  in  the 
planing  mill  business  with  his  brother  A.  L. 
Davis  until  his  removal  to  Christian  county 
about  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  in  1866. 
Locating  in  Pana  he  contiinied  to  carry  ()n 
contracting  and  building  for  some  years, 
liax'ing  pre\iousl\-  followed  tliat  occupation 
in  Biu'eau  county  and  here  he  erected  many 
residences  and  some  sclmol  houses.  He 
owned  two  carpenter  shops,  one  of  which 
was  blown  away  by  a  cyclone.  For  some 
vears  he  was  connected  with  the  Chicago, 
r)urlino-ton  &  Ouincv  Railroad  at  (iales- 
burg.  Later  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company  as  a 
pattern-maker  in  their  shops  at  Pana  for  a 
number  of  years  and  then  opened  a  planing 
mill,  which^he  conducted  until  his  retirement 


"^ 

w 


•'i*. 


D.  T.    DAVIS 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


6b.  i 


from  active  business  about  1888.  In  search 
of  health  he  visited  Florida  and  other  places 
in  company  with  his  wife  but  spent  his  last 
days  in  Pana. 

At  Galesburg,  Illinois,  Mr.  Davis  was 
united  In  marriage  to  Miss  Frances  A.  Dud- 
ley, and  they  began  their  married  life  at 
Ottumwa,  Iowa.  Mrs.  Davis  was  born  in 
Wyoming  comity,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
educated  at  Galesburg,  this  state.  Her 
father,  J.  ;\.  Dudley,  was  born  in  Vermont 
and  on  reaching  manhood  married  Feoda 
Dimmock,  a  daughter  of  Elder  Dimmock, 
who  was  an  old  time  circuit  rider  of  Medina. 
Ohio,  and  was  well  known  throughout  that 
part  of  the  country.  On  her  father's  side 
Mrs.  Davis  had  an  aunt,  Mrs.  Martha  True, 
who  made  her  home  in  Janesville,  ^^"iscon- 
sin,  and  died  leaving  a  large  family,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Davis  is  now  trying  to  find 
some  trace.  In  the  Dudley  family  were  nine 
children,  namely:  Edward,  who  was  a  pas- 
senger conductor  on  the  (diicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy  Railroad  for  thirty-five  years 
and  was  retired  from  service  on  account  of 
old  age.  makes  his  home  in  Galesburg;  Mrs. 
Afifa  Slatter  died  in  Bennington,  New  York; 
Davis  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and 
(lied  in  Chicago;  \\  illiani  H.  is  a  resident  of 
Los  Angeles,  California ;  Frances  A.  is  the 
widow  of  our  subject;  Martha,  who  was 
named  for  Mrs.  True,  is  the  wife  of  Dan 
Chenney,  of  Brookfield,  Missouri,  who  is  in 
the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad ;  Mrs.  Ella  Emery  also 
makes  her  home  in  Brookfield ;  Solomon,  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war.  was  killed  in  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
yards  at  Galesburg;  and  a  daughter  died  in 
the  east  before  the  emigration  of  the  family 
to  Illinois. 

Of  the  three  children  born   to  Mr.   and 
Mrs.  Davis  one  died  in  infancy.     Carrie  A. 


is  the  wife  of  C.  B.  Tracey,  a  photographer, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Ralph  and  lone. 
Charles  A.  married  Nettie  Clark  and  they 
have  two  children,  Fred  and  Bertrand.  At 
his  death  "Sir.  Davis  was  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances and  left  his  widow  well  pro- 
vided for.  Besides  her  home  she  owns  three 
lousiness  blocks  and  other  property  adjoin- 
ing her  residence,  and  in  the  management  of 
her  affairs  she  has  ('isplayed  good  business 
ability  and  sound  judgment.  On  their  ar- 
rival in  Pana,  Mr.  an.d  Mrs.  Davis  took  up 
their  abode  in  a  six-room  frame  cottage  and 
there  was  not  a  house  east  or  west  of  their 
home  on  the  north  side  of  the  railroad  track, 
while  the  surrounding  country  was  nearly 
all  \\\k\  prairie  land.  The  first  railroad  shop 
was  a  small  structure  built  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  north  of  the  present  depot, 
k^ew  ^^•ag"on  r<jads  had  been  laid  out,  much 
of  the  land  was  unfenced  and  wild  game  was 
very  plentiful.  Mrs.  Davis  can  relate  many 
interesting  reminiscences  of  her  early  life. 
The  wool  for  her  dresses  was  all  spun  at 
home,  th.e  goods  being  chiefly  linsey  wool- 
sey,  and  many  pieces  of  these  are  now  seen 
in  her  cjuilts.  Her  father  was  a  presser  and 
dyer  of  goods.  The  table  linen  was  made  of 
flax  home  grown  and  the  house  was  lighted 
by  dip  candles  or  the  old  grease  lamp.  She 
has  watched  with  interest  the  wonderful 
changes  that  ha\e  been  made  since  her  girl- 
hood and  has  seen  Pana  develop  from  a 
mere  village  to  a  flourishing  city.  She  is  a 
well  read  \\()man  of  pirogressive  ideas  and  is 
unix'ersally  loved  and  respected  by  all  who 
know  her. 


JAMES  W.  LOCKWOOD. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  James 
W.  Lock  wood  we  present  to  our  readers  the 
life  record  of  one  who  was  well  worthy  of 


3G8 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


mention  among-  the  representati\  e  men  of 
Christian  county.  He  hved  a  life  of  up- 
rightness which  was  characterized  hv  activ- 
ity  in  Imsiness  and  hy  fidchty  to  all  manly 
principles  and  thus  he  left  In  his  family  not 
only  a  comfortable  competence  won  through 
his  earnest  labor,  but  also  the  untarnished 
name  w  hich  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great 
riches.  He  was  born  on  the  3rd  of  August, 
1826,  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  was  a 
son  of  Syhan  and  Nancy  (Dolbier)  Lock- 
wood,  the  former  a  native  of  the  Empire 
state  and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  Botli 
have  long  since  passed  away.  Their  son 
pursued  his  education  in  a  Ixiarding  school 
in  Bedford.  Ohio,  and  received  good  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  improved  so  that 
he  was  well  qualified  for  teaching  when  at 
the  age  of  twenty  years  he  took  his  place  in 
a  schoolroom  as  an  instructor.  He  followed 
that  profession  for  fifteen  years  and  then 
worked  on  a  farm  ov/ned  by  his  father. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Lockwood  chose  ]\Iiss  Amanda 
A.  Smith,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  or. 
the  3d  of  July.  1853.  The  lady  was  born 
March  i.  1831,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Lyman 
T.  and  Sarah  (Hines)  Smith,  the  former  a 
native  of  Vermont  and  the  latter  of  Ohio 
The  paternal  ancestry  can  be  traced  back 
through  many  generations  to  the  time  of  the 
arrival  of  the  Mayflower,  for  the  progenitor 
of  the  family  in  the  new  world  crossed  the 
Atlantic  in  that  historic  little  vessel.  In  the 
year  of  their  marriage  IVIr.  and  Mrs.  Lock- 
wood  removed  to  Tennessee,  where  they 
spent  one  year,  and  for  one  year  he  occupied 
the  position  of  paymaster  with  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad  at  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana. 
He  then  purchased  an  interest  in  a  farm  in 
connection  with  his  father  and  operated  the 
land  until  1857,  wdien  he  removed  to  Illi- 
nois.    Settling  in  Christian  county,  he  pur- 


chased three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  where  his  wife  now  resides.  He  after- 
ward liought  one  lunidred  and  sixty  acres, 
all  of  which  was  raw  prairie,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  its  development 
and  improvement  and  as  the  years  i)assed 
by  he  transformed  the  wild  land  into  richly 
cultivated  fields  whicli  annuall)-  returned  to 
him  golden  har\ests  for  the  care  and  labor 
he  bestowed  upon  it.  In  all  of  his  farm 
work  he  was  progressive  and  enterprising 
and  his  success  was  well  merited. 

Lnito  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lockwood  were  born 
the  followdng  children :  Charles  H.  is 
yet  under  the  parental  roof.  Frank  A., 
who  .  is  operating  his  mother's  farm  and 
also  owns  one  hundred  and  thirteen 
acres  in  Stonington  township,  married  Al- 
tona  .Smith  and  of  the  six  children  born 
to  them  three  are  still  living.  Flora 
AL.  Clarence  R.  and  Stella  B.  Will- 
iam Clayton  is  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  in  Fort  Madison.  Iowa.  Flora  B. 
is  the  widow  of  Darwin  Adams  and  with 
two  of  her  three  children  is  living  with  her 
mother.  Her  eldest  chifd,  Jennie,  is  now 
the  wife  of  Homer  Parsons,  a  resident  of 
Rockford,  Illinois.  Stella  died  when  only 
one  month  old.  Arthur  X..  who  follows 
farming  in  Stonington  township,  married 
Lizzie  Gardner  and  has  two  children.  Elmer 
J.  and  Earl  N.  Darwin  F.  died  at  the  age 
of  one  year.  James  \\\  is  still  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  mother  and  children  arc 
all  identified  with  the  Baptist  church  and  the 
family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  commu- 
nity, its  members  occu])ying  an  enviable  po- 
sition in  the  regard  of  friends  and  neigh- 
bors. 

Mr.  Lockwood  took  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  doing  everything  in  his  ipower 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  community 
.-md  its  substantial  improvement.     For  many 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


3G9 


years  he  served  as  road  commissioner  and 
took  a  pride  in  having  good  roads  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  In  poHtics  he  was  a  Re- 
pubhcan.  He  died  Jnne  15,  1870,  and  the 
community  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its 
representative  men,  while  the  family  lost  a 
most  devoted  husband  and  father.  He  was 
always  true  to  manly  principle,  was  diligent 
and  enterprising  in  business  and  made  an 
excellent  record.  After  his  demise  his 
widow  continued  to  conduct  the  farm  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  now  rents  the  land  and 
the  income  derived  therefrom  supplies  her 
with  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
of  life. 


H.  L.  HAMMER. 


Among  the  business  men  of  Christian 
county  must  be  numbered  H.  L.  Hammer, 
^\•]lo  is  now  engaged  in  general  merchandis- 
ing at  Clarksdale  and  is  also  serving  as  post- 
master at  that  place.  He  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  born  near  Taylorville  on  the  27th  of 
August,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  W.  and 
Rebecca  (Langley)  Hammer,  who'  claimed 
Kentucky  as  their  native  state.  They  were 
among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Christian 
county,  having  located  here  in  1827,  and 
were  eye  witnesses  of  its  entire  growth  and 
development.  The  father,  who  was  born  in 
182 1,  is  still  living  and  now  makes  his  home 
in  Taylorville,  but  the  mother  died  in  1864. 

During  his  boyhood  Mr.  Hammer  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  this  county  and 
he  commenced  life  for  himself  by  working 
on  a  farm  by  the  month,  being  thus  em- 
ployed for  seventeen  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1874  he  went  to  Taylorville  and  served  as 
turnkey  at  the  jail  for  three  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  removed  to  Hayes  City, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
for  two  years  and  on  his  return  to  Christian 


county  continued  to  follow  that  occupation 
for  two  years.  During  the  following  three 
years  he  conducted  a  general  store  at  Berry, 
Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  and  then  re- 
sumed farming,  having  purchased  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  which  he  cultivated  for 
seven  years.  Selling  that  place,  he  bought 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  24, 
Bear  Creek  township,  near  Clarksdale,  and 
engaged  in  its  operation  for  five  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  sold  the  place  to  J. 
C.  McBride  and  in  August,  1902,  purchased 
the  general  store  of  J.  S.  Wallace  at  Clarks- 
dale, which  he  is  now  so  successfully  carry- 
ing on.  He  is  a  wide-awake,  energetic  busi- 
ness man,  who  generally  carries  forward  to 
successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes, and  besides  his  town  property  he  still 
owns  one  hundred  and  seventy-twO'  acres  of 
fine  farming  land  two  miles  north  of  Clarks- 
dale. 

In  December,  1877,  Mr.  Hammer  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Brown, 
whose  father  was  killed  in  the  Civil  war, 
and  to  them  were  born  four  children  :  Myr- 
tle, now  the  wife  of  Charles  Greene,  of 
Springfield,  Illinois;  Jesse,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  years ;  Glenn  A.  and  Fred- 
erick, both  at  home.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  in  1887,  and  in  1893  Mr. 
Hammer  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Lizzie  J.  McWard, 
a  daughter  of  David  McWard,  a  wealthy 
farmer  of  Johnson  township.  Three  chil- 
dren grace  the  second  marriage :  David 
McKinley;  Sanford  G.  and  Hugh  H. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Hammer  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  Fraternal  Army 
of  America,  and  in  his  political  views  he  is 
an  ardent  Republican.  A  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  good  business  ability  his  sue- 


370 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


cess  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts 
and  he  deser\es  prominent  mention  among 
the  leading  and  representati\e  business  men 
of  his  native  county. 


O.  B.  FRALEY. 


O.  Ik  I'raley,  who  is  now  so  acceptably 
serving  as  supervisor  of  May  township  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
and  prominent  farmers  of  that  locality,  was 
born  on  the  30th  of  April,  1853,  in  the  town- 
ship w  licre  he  no^^■  makes  his  home,  his  par- 
ents being  John  S.  and  Sarah  J.  (Wiley) 
Fraley,  natives  of  Ohio,  the  former  born 
June  6,  1818,  and  the  latter  May  23,  1821. 
They  came  to  Christian  county,  Illinois,  in 
October,  1849.  Here  the  mother  died  on 
the  1 2th  of  April,  1866,  and  the  father,  whO' 
long  survived  her,  passed  away  on  the  ist 
of  March,  1888. 

As  a  boy  O.  B.  Fraley  pursued  his  studies 
in  the  district  schools  of  May  township  and 
remained  at  home  with  his  father  until 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  aiding  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm.  He  then  went  to  Oregon, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for  some 
time,  but  in  1887  returned  to  Illinois.  He 
has  since  occu]>ied  his  ])resent  farm  on  sec- 
tion 29,  May  township,  where  he  has  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  very  product- 
i\e  land,  \\hich  he  has  j)laced  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  improved  with  good 
buildings,  having  recently  erected  a  fine  new 
residence. 

Mr.  Fraley  was  married  in  December. 
1901,  to  Miss  Julia  Lowrance  and  they  stand 
high  in  the  community  where  they  reside. 
Mrs.  Fraley  is  the  daughter  of  Jonathan  C. 
and  Sarah  J.  (Travis)  Lowrance,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of 
Illinois.  They  were  early  settlers  of  Chris- 
tian count V  and  resided  in  May  township. 


Mr.  Lowrance  died  in  1887,  aged  seventy- 
two  years,  and  liis  wife  survives  him,  now 
li\-ing  in  Assuni])tion  township.  They 
reared  four  children  to  maturity:  Julia, 
William,  Jolin  and  George.  Our  subject 
has  e\er  taken  (jnite  an  aoti\c  and  prominent 
part  in  ])ubh(.-  affairs  and  has  l)een  called 
uixjn  to  fill  the  office  of  supervisor  (jf  May 
township  for  three  terms,  being  the  present 
incumbent,  lie  ser\ed  on  the  building  com- 
mittee during  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the 
new  court  house.  He  has  also  served  as 
school  trustee  and  he  has  discharged  his 
official  duties  with  credit  to  himself  and  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 


KARL  HIGHT. 


The  Hight  family  is  too  well  known  in 
Christian  county  for  the  subject  of  this  re- 
view to  need  any  special  introduction  to  the 
readers  of  this  volume,  and  as  assistant  cash- 
ier of  the  Illinois  State  Bank  of  Assumption 
he  has  won  for  himself  a  creditable  place 
and  name  in  financial  circles  in  central  Illi- 
nois. He  was  born  in  Macon,  Illinois,  July 
1,  1879,  a  son  of  Benjamin  F.  Hight. 

The  father  was  l)orn  at  Natural  Bridge, 
Virginia,  August  12,  1845,  '^^^^^  '^^^^^  Decem- 
ber 18,  1899,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years 
fovu"  months  and  six  days.  His  parents 
were  Samuel  and  Alargaret  (Rapp)  Hight, 
and  he  was  one  of  five  brothers,  three  of 
whom,  Robert  W.,  William  and  James  L. 
Hight,  are  still  li\ing,  the  first  two  being 
residents  of  ]\Iacon  count}'.  A\'hen  l)nt  two 
years  of  age  Benjamin  V.  Hight  was 
brought  by  his  ]iarents  to  Illinois  and  in 
1855  the  family  remo\ed  frtMii  Greene 
count}',  where  they  first  settled,  to  Macon 
county.  In  the  public  schools  of  the  latter 
Benjamin  F.  Hight  acquired  a  good  knowl- 
edge  of   the  common    English    l)ranches   of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  TLLTNOIS. 


371 


Icaniinj^',  supplemented  1)\-  a  college  course 
ill  Sluuileff  College,  at  Alton,  Illinois.  His 
luisiness  career  was  characterized  by  activ- 
"t\-  and  acconiplisliment,  and  while  his  ef- 
forts lirought  him  prosperity  they  were  also 
factors  in  achancing  the  commercial  devel- 
opment of  the  community.  After  complet- 
ing his  education  he  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,  ].  L.  Hight,  in  Macon 
county,  and  in  the  fall  of  1883  he  came  with 
his  famil}'  to  Assumption.  In  that  year  he 
joined  S.  D.  Moore  in  founding  the  Bank 
of  Assumption,  now  the  Illinois  State  Bank, 
a  financial  institution  of  which  he  became 
the  ])resident,  ser\ing  in  that  capacity  until 
his  death  and  making  it  one  of  the  leading" 
and  relial)le  financial  concerns  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  He  was  also  associated  with 
Mr.  Ab)ore  in  the  establishment  of  the  brick 
and  tile  company,  an  industry  of  importance 
to  the  community,  furnishing  employment 
to  main'  workmen,  and  thus  keeping  much 
money  in  circulation.  He  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  sinking  the  coal  shaft  and  thus 
developing  the  mining  interests  of  Assump- 
tion. He  it  was  who  drew  u])  the  first 
jiapers  in  order  to  get  the  enterprise  u]:)on  a 
working  basis  by  the  securing  of  subscribers 
to  incorporate  it,  and  become  stockholders 
therein.  He  was  likewise  instrumental  in 
the  formation  of  the  Assumption  Tele])hone 
Company,  which  has  so  greatly  facilitated 
business  as  well  as  proving  of  the  greatest 
possible  convenience  to  the  peo])le  of  the 
count}',  and  he  instituted  the  electric  light 
plant.  He  was  also  a  factor  in  the  impro\'e- 
ment  of  the  cemetery  and  gave  his  aid  and 
infiuence  to  all  that  seemed  for  the  benefit 
of  the  |)ublic.  ddms  in  brief  is  outlined  his 
business  career  in  Assumj)tion.  but  not  until 
the  movements  which  he  instituted  shall 
have  completed  their  fruition  of  good  in  the 


world,    will    the   real    \aluc   of   his    work   be 
known. 

On  the  5th  of  Ajiril,  1870,  Mr.  Hight  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Belle  M.  IMeach, 
a  sister  of  Dr.  R.  E.  Tobey,  of  Decatur,  Illi- 
nois, the  senior  member  of  the  dental  firm 
of  Tobey  &  Lacharite  of  Assumption.  By 
this  marriage  there  were  three  children,  but 
Charles,  the  first  born,  died  in  infancy.  Karl 
is  the  second  and  Alta  is  the  wife  of  Her- 
man Lacharite,  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Tobey  &  Lacharite,  practicing  den- 
tists of  Assumption.  On  the  28th  of  May. 
1895,  Mrs.  Hight  was  called  to  her  final 
rest,  leaving"  behind  her  the  memory  of  a 
noble  life  filed  with  good  deeds  and  high 
purposes.  On  the  20th  of  July,  1896,  Mr. 
Hight  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Amanda  Huffer.  a  popular 
school  teacher  of  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Josiah  and  Mary  (Carr)  Huf- 
fer, early  residents  of  Shelby  county  and 
both  now  deceased.  By  this  marriage  there 
is  one  son,  Harold. 

Mrs.  Hight,  in  connection  with  her  hus- 
band, was  very  active  in  church  work.  In 
his  boyhood  days  he  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  was 
ever  an  honored  and  consistent  member, 
doing  much  for  the  up1>uilding  of  the  church 
in  Assumption  and  contributing  liberally  to 
the  cause.  No  labor  was  too  hard,  no  time 
too  precious  nor  any  sacrifice  too  great  if 
it  would  promote  the  church  which  was  so 
dear  to  hini.  He  was  an  active  worker  in 
the  Sunday-school  and  League  as  well  as 
the  church  and  ])ut  forth  every  effort  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  cause  of  Christianity. 
He  had  the  greatest  admiration  and  friend- 
ship for  children,  was  the  wise  counsellor 
of  the  young  and  the  benefactor  of  the  poor 
and  needy.  He  lives  to-day  enshrined  in 
the  hearts  of  those  who  knew  him  and  the 


;n2 


•AST   AXn    I'kl'.SI'.XT 


affectiiui  in  which  he  was  hchl  hy  >'<>un<4  and 
old.   rich   and   poDi".   is  more   cniUn'ini;-  than 
an\    monument  of  stone  or  metal   couUl  he. 
in    citizenship    he    was    always    loyal,    and 
•while  he  never  sought  puhlic  office  he  never 
shrank  from  the  performance  of  any  duty 
which  his   fellow   townsmen  wished   him  to 
assume.     For  a  number  of  years  he  ser\-ed 
as  president  of  the  school  hoard  of  Assump-^ 
tion  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  raising 
the  standard  of  the  schools.     When  he  was 
called  from  the  hu.sy  scenes  of  life,  the  fu- 
neral   services    over   his   remains   were   held 
in  the  h'irst  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Assumption,  Rev.  \\'.  A.  Dawson  and  Rev. 
y.     A.     Stout    officiating.      Every    business 
house  in  the  citv  was  closed  as  a  tribute  of 
respect  and  the  merchants  attended  the  ob- 
sequies in  a  Ijody.     His  influence  is  yet  felt 
in  the  business  circles  of  Assumption  and 
is  a  potent  factor  in  the  lives  of  many  wdio 
were  inspired  by  his  example  of  uprightness 
and  nobility  of  character. 

Karl  Hight,  the  son,  was  but  four  years 
of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
,\ssumption.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
and  afterward  the  Gem  City  Business  Col- 
lege at  Ouincy,  Illinois.  He  liad  almost 
completed  the  course  when  he  was  called 
home  to  accept  the  position  of  bookkeeper 
in  the  Illinois  State  Bank,  of  wdiich  institu- 
tion his  father  was  president.  In  July,  1903. 
he  became  assistant  cashier  :md  is  now  fill- 
ing that  position,  being  active  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  institution,  which  is  carried 
on  along  safe  and  conservative  lines,  and 
vet  is  also  progressive  in  its  methods. 

In  1892  Mr.  Hight  was  married  to  Miss 
Edith  Hillabrant,  a  native  of  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Lous  (Keiler)  Hillabrant,  who  removed 
from  Illinois  to  Washington,  Kansas,  where 
thev  are  now  living.     There  Mrs.  Hight  was 


reared  and  educated.  Into  .Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Night  has  been  born  a  little  daughter,  Alta 
I'^,  named  for  his  sister.  The  young  couple 
are  leaders  in  the  social  life  of  Assumption 
and  their  home  is  noted  for  its  gracious  hos- 
pitality. It  is  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dences in  the  west  part  of  the  town  and  Mr. 
Hight  is  also  the  owner  of  a  nice  farm  in 
Assumption  township,  adjoining  the  cor- 
poration limits  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pvthias  fraternity  and 
the  Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal  Americans. 
In  religious  faith  he  is  a  Methodist.  He  has 
worked  untiringly  for  the  estalilishment  of  a 
]jublic  library  in  Assumption  and  is  about  to 
see  the  fulfillment  of  his  hopes  and  the  re- 
ward of  his  labors,  for  within  a  few  w'ceks 
the  lil)rary  will  be  opened. 


MAJOR  D.  D.  SHUMWAY. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  early  settlers 
of  Christian  county  was  Major  D.  D.  Shum- 
way,  wdio  was  born  in  \\^illiamsburg, 
Worcester  county,  Massachusetts,  Septem- 
ber 28,  181 3.  Attracted  by  the  glowdng  ac- 
counts of  the  far  west  he,  on  attaining  his 
majority,  emigrated  from  the  Bay  state  in 
1834  and  settled  at  first  in  Zanesville,  Ohio, 
wdiere  he  remained  until  the  year  1837, 
when  he  removed  to  Zanesville,  IMontgom- 
ery  countv,  Illinois,  and  embarked  in  mer- 
cantile business.  *■ 

On  the  ^^d  of  June,  1841,  Mixjov  Shum- 
way  was  married  to  ]\Iiss  Emily  R.  Roun- 
tree.  daughter  of  Flon.  Hiram  Rountree. 
of  Hillsboro.  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  1843 
he  removed  to  Christian  county  and  on  the 
wild  ])rairie.  some  four  miles  east  of  Tay- 
lorville,  improved  a  farm  of  seven  hundred 
acres,  on  which  he  resided  until  185 1,  when 
he  became  a  resident  of  Taylorville. 

There  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business 


CITRTSTTAN  COUXTY,   ILLINOIS. 


373 


and  cuiitinued  \\ilh  marked  success  until 
1858,  when  lie  retired.  He  expended  a 
large  i)art  of  his  accnnnilated  wealth  in  im- 
proA'ing  his  landed  property  and  especially 
in  adorning'  and  heautifying  his  homestead 
adjacent  to  town.  He  was  a  gentleman  of 
culture  and  taste  and  it  was  one  of  the  chief 
purposes  of  his  life  to  make  his  home  pleas- 
ant and  attractive  to  his  family.  Soon  after 
his  retirement  from  the  mercantile  line  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  la^^",  the  reading 
of  which  he  had  pursued  during  his  leisure 
hours  while  in  husiness.  In  this  profession 
he  \\()n  success  and  his  jiractice  at  Taylor- 
\'ille  gained  for  him  a  distinctively  repre- 
sentati\'e  clientage. 

Major  Shumway  was  strictly  a  self-made 
man  and  his  qualifications  were  such  as  to 
fit  him  for  any  pursuit  or  position.  He  pos- 
sessed one  of  the  finest  lihraries  in  the  coun- 
try and  his  fund  of  information  on  all  the 
leading"  topics  of  the  day  was  as  ample  as 
his  collection  of  hooks  was  complete.  He 
was  a  man  of  generous  disposition  and 
highly  esteemed  hy  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
filled  many  public  offices  with  honor.  \Mfile 
a  resident  of  Montgomery  county  he  ser\-ed 
as  county  commissioner.  In  1845  ^""^  ^^'^^ 
elected  to  the  state  legislature  from  the 
counties  of  Christian  and  Shelhv  and  at  the 

_,    following  session  was   elected  clerk  of  the 

7  - 

^^  state  senate.'^    In  1848  he  was.  elected  a  mem- 

loer  of  the  state  constitutioiial  convention 
and  was  ])rominent  in  the  important  deliber- 
ations of  that  body.  He  also'  served  as 
major  in  the  state  nfilitia.  For  several  years 
he.  was  an  honored  member  of  both  the 
County  and  State  -Agricultural  Societies. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  and  for  several 
years  ]jre\ious  he  was  master  in  chancery  of 
the  county. 

To  Major  Shumway  is  due  much  praise 
for    advancing   the    material    prosperity    of 


Taylor\illc  and  Christian  county.  By  his 
efforts  and  speeches  he  contributed  very 
largely  to  securing  railway  communications 
through  Christian  county.  He  gave  liber- 
ally of  his  time  and  means  to  all  public  en- 
terprises. \A'hile  a  member  of  the  legisla- 
ture he  never  failed  to  guard  the  interests 
of  his  own  district  and  to  advance  wise  and 
prudent  legislation  for  all  parts  of  this  great 
commonwealth.  The  location  of  the  Terre 
Haute  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  through  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  county  was  brought 
about  b}-  his  untiring  efforts.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  principal  promoters  and  incor- 
porators, and  a  director  of  the  Springfield  & 
Southeastern  Railroad. 

Major  Shumwa}^  devoted  much  time  to 
the  interests  of  Masonry.  In  1839  he  was 
made  a  Master  Mason  and  was  a  charter 
member  of  Mound  Lodge  and  the  Taylor- 
ville  Chapter.  After  serving  his  lodge  as 
worshipful  master  for  eighteen  consecutive 
years  he  was  complimented  on  his  retiring 
therefrom  with  a  past  master's  jewel.  He 
was  high  priest  of  his  chapter  at  the  time  of 
his  death  and  was  buried  with  Masonic  hon- 
ors. He  passed  away  on  the  gth  of  May, 
1870,  and  his  wife  died  in  1886.  His  fam- 
ily consisted  of  seven  children:  Hiram  P., 
deceased;  Sarah  X.;  D.  Dwight ;  Augu.st 
F. :  lohn  N.  C. ;  Emilv  R.  and  Ellen  R. 


CLINTON  HOWARD. 

Clinton  Howard  is  a  retired  farmer  re- 
siding in  Pana.  He  was  born  in  Madison 
county,  Ohio,  October  ig,  1835,  ^i'^  parents 
being  j\mos  J.  and  Rachel  (Kirkley)  How- 
ard. The  father  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  whence  he  removed  to  Ohio  and 
there  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
He  died  upon  the  old  home  place  in  the 
Buckeye  state  in  1882  and  the  farm  there  is 


374 


PAST  AND   PRF.SF.NT 


]\n\\  iiccu|iiril  In  Mariuii  I  Inward,  a  lirnlln'r 
III'  mil'  siil)]\'ct,  wild  is  ail  c\tciisi\i'  laiid- 
(iwiKT.  Iiis  ijdsscssions  ai;'L;rct;aliiii;'  twchc 
luiiidrcd  acres. 

CliiitDii  llnwavd  a(,-(|uircd  his  earl}'  edu- 
cation ill  the  ])u1)lic  schools  of  liis  native 
state  and  sn])|)lenicnte(l  his  i)reliniinary 
trainiiii^-  ]n-  a  course  of  stud\-  in  Mechanics- 
Imri;-  Acadeniv  and  afterward  in  Antioch 
College.  He  started  out  upon  his  business 
career  in  i8()i  as  a  farmer.  Tn  his  youth  lie 
had  hcconie  familiar  with  the  Avork  of  field 
and  meadow  throu,L;h  the  assistance  ^vhich 
he  "ave  to  his  father  on  the  old  Ikmiic  i)lace. 
.\fter  l)ei.;iunin,L;'  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count his  attention  was  directed  to  the  rais- 
ing of  stock,  including  sheen  and  cattle,  and 
he  was  a  very  successful  stockdealer  of  his 
native  state.  In  1876,  however,  he  sold  his 
land  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Pana,  where  he 
l)urchased  a  beautiful  residence  and  since 
that  time  has  lived  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness cares.  He  still,  howeser.  retains  some 
bar.king  interests  in  Ohio. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1861,  Mr.  How- 
ard was  united  in  marriage  to  ]\Iiss  Sarah 
jane  I'erkins.  a  native  of  Madison  county, 
( )hio.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
but  one  child,  Percy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  How- 
ard belonged  to  the  First  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  contributed  liberallv  to  its  sup- 
port and  took  an  acti\e  part  in  its  work. 
He  gives  his  ]iolitical  allegiance  to  the  De- 
mocracy and  has  Ijeen  one  of  its  stanch  advo- 
cates since  voting  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas 
in  i860,  ^^'hile  living  in  Ohio  he  served 
as  township  trustee,  but  has  never  been  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  pre- 
I erring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to 
his  busines  affairs.  Through  his  connection 
w  ith  agricultural  interests  he  followed  prac- 
tical   and    progressive   methods,    manifested 


untiring  perse\  eraiux'  aii<l  thus  as  ihe  years 
ad\anced  won  the  prosperit\'  which  now  en- 
ables him  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest. 


ALHERT  DAVIDSON. 

Albert  Davidson,  who  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Mt)S(|uito  township,  has  made 
I  arming  his  life  occupation  and  now  owns 
and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  on  section  27.  fie  was  l)orn  in 
(Ireene  count)-,  this  state,  on  the  19th  of 
A|)ril,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Ellis  and  Mar- 
garet (Wright)  Davidson.  The  father,  who 
was  a  nati\'e  of  North  Carolina,  came  to 
Illinois  in  1829  and  was  actively  identified 
with  the  early  development  of  this  state. 
It  was  in  1864  that  he  became  a  resident  of 
Christian  county  and  here  his  lemainlng 
days  were  passed,  dying  on  the  4th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1877.     His  wife  had  died  in  1875. 

In  the  county  of  his  nati\ity  Albert  Da- 
\idson  grew  to  manh(X)d  and  is  indebted  t(i 
its  district  schools  for  the  early  educational 
])ri\ileges  he  enjoyed.  ■  In  1864  he  came  to 
Christian  county  and  with  his  youngest 
brother  liought  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
near  Mount  Auburn,  now  the  property  of 
Stephen  Sheppard.  This  Avas  subsecpiently 
sold  and  he  then  ])u.rchased  eighty  acres  of 
his  present  farm  on  section  27,  ]\losc|uito 
township,  to  which  he  has  since  added  an- 
;)ther  elghtA-  acre  tract.  It  was  all  raw  prai- 
rie land  when  it  came  into  his  possession, 
but  he  has  converted  the  same  into  a  well 
iiii])ro\ed  and  \-alurd)le  farm.  He  built  his 
present  home  in  i8(')8,  has  planted  trees  and 
made  mrmy  other  useful  and  \aluable  im- 
])ro\ements  to  the  place.  He  has  watched 
with  interest  the  wonderful  changes  that 
ha\e  taken  place  in  the  county  during  the 
last  forty  }ears  and  has  materially  aided  in 
its  ■de\elopineiil  and  n])bui1ding. 


SCOTT  DAVIDSON 


MRS.  SCOTT  DAVIDSON 


LOUISE  DAVIDSON 


ALBERT  DAVIDSON 


MRS.  ALBERT  DAVIDSON 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLJNOJS. 


077 


.  >  ( 


(  )n  llic  ^^(1  of  jaimarv.  1867.  Mr.  David- 
Sdii  led  to  tlic  niarn'ai^e  altar  Miss  Mary  S. 
Hentlersnn,  who  was  born  in  Madison 
county,  this  state,  January  21,  1846.  Her 
father,  John  A.  Henderson,  was  a  native  of 
V^irginia  and  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
(lay.  In  1855  he  became  a  resident  of  Chris- 
tian county,  locating  two  and  a  half  miles 
northeast  of  Mount  Auburn.  L^nto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Da\'ids()n  \\erc  born  two  children:  AW 
Scott,  who  married  Agnes  (iriswold  and  has 
one  child,  Louise:  and  Alice  Daisy,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  and  a  half  years. 
The  son  is  now  li\'ing  on  a  ]xart  of  his  fath- 
er's farm.  The  family  is  widely  a.nd  favor- 
ably known  throughout  the  community  in 
which  thev  li\'e. 


ISALAH  POUDER. 

One  of  the  representative  citizens  and 
])rominent  farmers  of  Locust  township  is 
Isaiah  Pouder,  \\hose  home  is  on  section  i. 
He  comes  originally  from  Ohio,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Hamilton  county,  that 
state,  November  28.  183 1,  and  he  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  and  Catherine  Ponder,  also  na- 
tives of  the  Buckeye  state,  wdiere  the  mother 
made  her  home  throughout  life,  dying  there 
in  1847.  Tn  1862  the  father  came  to  Chris- 
tian county,  Illinois,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred alwut  1883. 

Isaiah  Pouder  spent  his  early  life  in  Ohio, 
attending  tlie  district  schools  until  he  ac- 
(|uire(l  a  good  practical  education.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  started  out  to  make  his 
own  wa^•  in  the  world  and  was  engineer  in  a 
steam  mill  for  some  time.  He  assisted  in 
buildino-  two  mills  in  Missouri,  one  in  In- 
(liana  and  another  in  Ohio.  Subsequently 
he  was  engaged  in  the  butcher  business  for 
two  years  and  then  came  to  Christian  coiuitv 


in  1854  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming, 
operating  rented  land  for  nine  years.  .\t 
the  end  of  that  period  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  his  ])resent  farm 
in  Locust  township.  Prosperity  attended 
his  well  directed  efforts  and  he  added  to  his 
property,  now  owning  a  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  ten  acres,  which  is  well  im- 
])r()\'e(l  and  under  excellent  culti\ation.  He 
erected  all  of  the  l)uildings  ujKjn  the  ])lace. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  he  is 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  his 
specialties  being  shorthorn  cattle.  Poland 
China  hogs  and  Percheron  draft  horses,  and 
he  has  some  registered  stock  upon  his  place. 
I^'or  twenty-five  ..years  he  has  devoted  con^ 
siderable  attention  to  the  raising-  of  hogs 
and  he  has  met  with  excellent  success,  being 
a  good  judge  of  all  kinds  of  farm  animals 
and  a  man  of  excellent  business  ability  and 
sound  judgment. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1854,  Mi\  Pouder 
married  Miss  Catherine  Gresh,  a  daughter 
of  John  Gresh,  wdio  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Five  children  blessed  this  union, 
namely:  Albert  R.,  who  is  married  and  is 
engaged  in  farming  near  Assumption;  Can- 
dis,  now  the  widow  of  George  Herrin ; 
Murry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years;  Iva,  the  wife  of  Charles  Thrawl,  who 
follows  farming  in  May  township,  this 
county;  and  Frank,  who  is  married  and  is 
also  farming  in  May  township.  Mrs.  Pou- 
der and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Herrin,  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  Mr.  Pouder  is  identified  with  the  Ma- 
sonic Lodge,  No.  128,  of  Assumption.  He 
uses  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  has  held  the  offices  of  highway  commis- 
sioner and  school  director.  He  is  practically 
a  self-made  man,  for  his  success  in  life  has 
been  achieved  bv  his  omii   industry,   perse- 


378 


PAST  AND   I 'RESENT 


\cr;mcc  and  j^ood  inaiiai^cnK'iit  and  lie  well 
deserves  the  jji-osperity  llial  lias  ediiie  I'l 
him. 


AMOS  A.  RHODES 

Amos    A.    Rhodes    was    for    n^'uiy    years 
identified      with     as^"rieultnral      interests     in 
C'hristian    eonnt\-    and    was    also    a    eapahle 
eomitv  ciffieial  for  a  nunilier  of  years.      His 
reeord  as  a  man  and  citizen  was  aho\e  re- 
proach and  thont^h  he  has  passed  away  liis 
memor\-   is   vet   enshrined   in   the  hearts  of 
many    who    knew     him.      He    was    horn    in 
Shelhv  county.  Illinois,  on  the  23d  of  May. 
US41.     and     was     of     Sc(Jtch-Irish     lineage. 
Prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war  the  family 
was    founded    in    America,    for     Hezekiah 
Rhodes,  the  great-grandfather  of  onr  snl> 
ject.   was  a   member  of  the   Patriot   army. 
Jesse  Rhodes,  the  grandfather,  was  horn  in 
North  Carolina  and  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming.     Believing  that  he  might  have 
better  business  opportunities  in  the  west  he 
came  to  Plinois  in   1830.  settling  in  Shell)}- 
county.      Here   his    force   of   character   and 
fitness   for  leadershij)  made  him   a   man   of 
considerable  prominence  and    influence   and 
he   was   honored   with    a    number   of   iniblic 
offices,   being   elected   upon    the    Democratic 
ticket.      He  was  appointed  by  the  governor 
as  one  of  the  commissioners  to  select  a  site 
for   the  county   seat  of   Macon   county   and 
they  determined  upon  the  site  of  liie  present 
city  of  Decatur.    Tlis  son,  James  M.  Rhodes, 
the    father    of    our    subject,    was    born    and 
reared    in    Wilson    cmtntv.    Tennessee,    and 
after    arriving    at    years    of    maturity    was 
joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss   Pernetty  Wake- 
field, whose  birth  occurred  in  Shelby  county. 
Illinois.  October  13.   1824.     At  the  time  of 
her  death,   which  occurred   in   April.    i8()4. 
she  was  the  oldest  native  citizen  of  Shelbv 


conntw  I  ler  father,  Andrew  Wakefield. 
was  born  in  ( ieorgia  and  became  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois,  locating  in  Shelby 
conntx'  about  i8_'().  in  the  district  which 
afterward  l)ecame  known  as  the  W  akefield 
settlement.  There  he  entered  land  from  the 
go\ernment.  establishing  one  of  the  first 
])ennanent  homes  of  the  locality.  Indians 
were  still  numerous  in  the  neighborhood  and 
primitive  conditions  existed  on  e\ery  hand, 
but  with  the  true  courageous  spirit  of  the 
pioneer  he  bravely  faced  a]l  the  difficulties 
and  obstacles  and  in  course  of  time  devel- 
oped a  good  home  for  his  family.  His 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-eight 
years.  Both  his  father  and  his  mother, 
Charles  and  Anna  Wakefield,  were  born  on 
a  ship  on  which  their  respective  parents  were 
crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America. 

The  parents  of  Amos  A.  Rhodes  were 
married  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  in  1840. 
The  father  w'as  one  of  the  pioneer  teachers 
there  and  also  became  extensively  engaged 
in  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  Shelby 
county  when  he  was  forty-three  years  of 
age.  In  the  family  were  two*  sons.  Amos  A. 
and  Jesse,  and  the  latter  was  born  in  1844 
and  died  in  the  service  of  his  country  in 
1864  from  disease  contracted  in  the  army. 
He  was  a  member  of  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-third  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  was  a  \aliant  defender  of  the  Union 
cause. 

Amos  A.  Rhodes,  A\hose  name  introduces 
this  rexiew.  was  reared  in  the  county  of  his 
natixit)'  and  began  his  education  in  a  little 
log  schoolhouse.  in  which  his  father  was  the 
teacher.  During  the  period  of  the  Cixil  war 
he  was  a  student  in  Ouinc}-.  Illinois,  and 
would  have  graduated  there  in  1863  had  not 
the  government  appropi"iated  the  building 
for  hospital  purposes.  Mr.  Rhodes  then  be- 
came a  fact(n-  in  business  life  bv  the  estab- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


lisliineiil  of  a  grocer}'  store  in  Tana  in  1864 
under  tlie  firm  name  of  Eichelberger  & 
Rhodes.  For  five  years  he  was  connected 
Avith  that  enterprise  and  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  real  estate  business.  In  the 
year  1873  ^^^  '^^'•^^  called  to  public  life,  being 
elected  county  treasurer  and  ex-officio 
county  collector  of  Christian  county  on  the 
Democratic  ticket.  Twice  he  was  re-elected 
so  that  he  was  the  incumbent  in  the  office 
for  six  years.  When  his  term  had  expired 
in  the  year  1879  he  retired  to  his  farm  two 
miles  south  of  Pana,  having  resolved  to  live 
a  private  life,  1)ut  his  fitness  for  jmblic  office 
led  to  his  selection  for  the  position  of  town- 
ship supervisor  arid  he  acted  in  that  capacity 
for  three  terms.  In  the  year  1884  he  was 
ag"ain  called  to  the  county  seat,  being  elected 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  which  position  he 
acceptably  filled  for  four  years.  Declining" 
to  ag'ain  accept  the  nomination  he  then  re- 
turned to  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  lying  just  west  of  Pana. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1865,  Mr.  Rhodes 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Dora  Jage- 
man,  a  daughter  of  Ignatz  Jageman,  of 
Madison  county,  Illinois.  She  was  born  in 
Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  when  a 
little  maiden  of  six  years  was  brought  by 
her  parents  to  America,  the  family  settling 
in  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  The  father  was  a 
])rominent  citizen  of  Furth,  his  native  city, 
and  there  served  as  burgomaster,  an  office 
ec|uivalent  to  that  of  mayor  in  this  country. 
Four  children  were  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rhodes:  Edward  J.,  who  is  now  circuit 
clerk  of  Christian  county  and  resides  in 
Tavlorxille ;  Charles  A.,  who  is  secretary  of 
the  Christian  County  Savings,  Loan  & 
Building  Association  of  Taylorville;  and 
two  sons  that  died  in.  infancy.  In  1892  Mr. 
Rhodes  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss 
of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  on  the  6th  of 


May  of  that  year.  She  liad  receixed  good 
educational  privileges  in  l)oth  Cierman  and 
English,  completing  her  studies  in  ■  the 
schools  of  New  Jersey.  Her  natural  refine- 
ment and  many  graces  of  character  endeared 
her  to  all  with  whom  she  came  in  contact. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Rhodes  was  connected  with 
Pana  Lodge,  No.  226,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and. 
with  Orient  Chapter  of  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star.  He  was  a  man  of  firm  pur- 
pose and  of  unfaltering  fidelity  to  what  he 
lielieved  to  be  right,  and  all  who  knew  him 
entertained  for  him  warm  regard.  He  died 
in  .Vpril,  1902,  Iea\ing  behind  him  an  un- 
tarnished name.  In  all  of  his  business  af- 
fairs he  was  straightfor\\ard  and  honorable 
and  in  office  was  prompt  and  reliable,  so  that 
he  won  the  respect  of  young  and  old,  rich  . 
and  poor.  • 


A..  F.  KRIEGER. 

Among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  has  ; 
furnished  to  Illinois  is  numbered  A.  F.  Krie- 
ger,  who  was  born  in  Darke  countv  of  the 
Buckeye  state  June  26,  1849.  His  parents 
were  A.  S.  and  Amelia  (Myers)  Krieger, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany. 
On  leaving  the  fatherland  in  1848- they 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  Ignited  States 
and  established  their  home  in  Darke  county,, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  continued  to  reside 
until  1864,  when  he  removed; to  Elkhart, 
Logan  countv,  Illinois,  and  remained  there.- 
until  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  passed 
away  in  October,  1869.  and  his  widow  spent 
her  last  davs  in  Christian  ccnmty.  Illinois, 
where  she  died  July  ii,  t88T. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  A  F.  Krie- 
o-er  was  reared  until  he  had  attained  the  age 
of  fifteen  years  and  during  that  period  he 
pursued  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Darke  county.      In   1864  he  ar- 


380 


PAST  AND    I'kKSENT 


ri\c(I  in  Christian  county,  Illinoi'^,  and  lie 
Continued  tf)  work  upon  tlic  home  farm  until 
t\vent\'-one  years  of  aj^e,  when  he  started 
out  in  life  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  worked  hy  the  month  for  eii^dit 
months  and  then  rented  four  hundred  acres 
of  land  for  a  year.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  renKned  to  his  present  farm, 
then  rentint^-  two  hundred  acres.  He  after- 
wartl  purchased  the  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  acres  of  land  which  he  now  owns.  1)e- 
coming  the  possessor  of  this  property  after 
his  mother's  death  in  1881.  In  connection 
with  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  Mr.  Krieger 
is  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in 
the  hreeding  of  fine  Percheron  horses  and 
has  some  of  the  finest  horses  in  this  section 
of  the  country.  He  has  sold  two-year-old 
colts  for  two  thousand  dollars  and  his  stock 
always  commands  the  highest  market  prices. 
Upon  his  farm  are  large  harns  and  excellent 
e(|uipments  for  the  care  of  his  stock  and  he 
also  has  a  very  fine  residence  and  all  modern 
accessories  which  are  found  upon  the  model 
farms  of  the  twentieth  century. 

On  the  10th  of  December.  1872,  Mr. 
Krieger  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Eunice  D.  Hurd,  a  native  of  New  York. 
who  died  April  21.  1903.  By  that  marriage 
there  were  born  seven  children  :  Emma  ^I., 
who  married  Earl  D.  Schieb,  a  farmer  of 
Chri.stian  county;  Grace,  the  wife  of  B.  R. 
Pippin,  now  a  grocer  of  Edinburg.  Illinois; 
Arthur  L.,  who  married  Lena  Greive  and  is 
operating  land  in  this  county;  Allen  T., 
Minnie  L.,  Augu.stus  and  Clara,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Krieger  and  his  family  belong  to  the 
(lerman  Reformed  church  and  he  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Stonington  Lodge.  M.  W.  A. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  De- 
mocracy and  he  served  as  assessor  for  three 
terms,  while  throughout  nearly  all  of  his 
residence  here  he  has  been  a  school  director. 


The  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  \\arm 
friend,  interested  in  promoting  the  standard 
of  the  schools  and  in  citizenship  he  is  always 
progressi\-e  and  enterprising,  putting  ftjrth 
e\ery  effort  to  promote  general  jjrogrcss 
along  substantial  lines  of  de\eloi)nient.  A 
cordial,  genial  manner  wins  him  friends  and 
he  is  a  man  entirelv  free  from  ostentation 
or  display,  vet  possessing  man)'  excellent 
traits  of  character  ^\hich  ha\e  won  for  him 
high  esteem. 


D.   O.    DANIELS. 

D.  O.  Daniels,  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Cix'il  war  and  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  of  Christian  C(nmt}'.  whose  home  is 
on  section  13,  Mosquito  township,  was  born 
on  the  4th  of  May,  1845,  ^^^  bulton  county. 
Pennsylvania,  of  which  state  his  parents, 
Daniel  and  Rachel  Daniels,  were  also  na- 
tives. In  1858  the  family  came  to  Illinois 
and  settled  in  Christian  count\-  but  the 
father  is  now  a  resident  of  Pawnee  Rock, 
Kansas.     The  mother  died  about  1875. 

The  subject  of  th.is  sketch  was  alxiut  thir- 
teen years  of  age  when  he  accomi)anied  his 
])arents  on  their  remoxal  to  Illinois  and  as 
there  were  no  schools  in  the  locality  where 
thev  settled  his  education  ^^•as  principall}-  ac- 
(|uired  before  coming  to  Christian  conntv. 
His  earl_\-  life  was  ])assed  in  a  rather  un- 
e\"entful  manner  until  he  entered  the  serxice 
of  his  country  during  the  dark  d'i\-s  of  the 
ivil  war,  enlisting  on  the  4th  of  Eebruary, 
i8C)5,  as  a  member  of  Company  K,  One 
Hundred  and  l-'ifty-second  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantr)-.  lie  first  went  to  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  and  from  there  to  Nash\-ille.  Llis 
command  sul)se(|uently  started  for  Texas 
hut  the  b(»at  on  \\hich  the\-  sailed  sank  while 
going  down  the  Mississippi.  Mr.  Daniels 
remained  in  the  ser\ice  for  some  time  after 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


381 


hostilities  ceased  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  Sepetmber,  1865. 

Returning"  home  he  worked  on  his  father's 
farm  for  a  year  and  then  purchased  a 
prairie  team  of  five  yoke  of  oxen  and  a 
twenty-four-inch  breaking  plow.  With  this 
outfit  he  engaged  in  l)reaking  prairie  for 
three  and  a  half  or  four  dollars  per  acre  and 
the  first  year  saved  seven  hundred  dollars. 
This  he  invested  in  forty  acres  of  railroad 
land  and  renting  eighty  acres  more  he  com- 
menced farming  on  his  own  account,  al- 
though he  continued  to  break  prairie  for  two 
years  thereafter.  Ten  years  ago  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  his  house  by  fire  and  then 
removed  to  his  present  location  on  the  cross- 
roads, where  he  has  a  fine  large  residence 
and  good  and  substantial  outbuildings.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  acres  of 
rich  and  arable  land  and  in  connection  w-ith 
general  farming  he  has  engaged  in  the  buy- 
ing" and  feeding  of  stock. 

In  1867  Mr.  Daniels  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Miss  Louisa  V.  Fletcher,  a  daughter  of 
John  G.  Fletcher,  who  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county.  By  this  union  the 
following  children  have  been  lx)rn :  Anna, 
wife  of  John  Marshall,  a  grocer  of  Decatur; 
Otis,  who  is  married  and  is  engaged  in  the 
transfer  business  in  Macon,  Macon  county ; 
Nona,  wife  of  Elmer  Ellis,  a  farmer  of 
Christian  county;  John  D.,  who  is  now 
attending  a  business  college  in  Decatur ; 
Elmer,  at  home ;  Carrie,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  years ;  and  Daisy,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years.. 

Religiously  Mr.  Daniels  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church  and  j^olitically  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has 
tilled  the  offices  of  school  director,  constable, 
township  clerk  and  collector,  and  his  pul)lic 
duties  have  always  been  most  faithfullv  and 
satisfactorily  performed.     He  is  one  of  the 


oldest  residents  of  Mosquito  township,  hav- 
ing" for  forty-five  years  made  his  home 
within  its  borders  and  he  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  its  development  and  upbuilding. 


WILLIAM     AUGUSTUS    GOODRICH. 

William  Augustus  Goodrich  is  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  Christian  county.  Long 
years  have  come  and  gone  since  he  arrived 
here  and  great  changes  have  occurred.  The 
traveler  of  several  decades. ago  would  not 
recognize  in  the  improved  condition  of  the 
county  to-day  the  district  which  he  visited 
at  that  time  for  it  was  then  a  region  in  which 
the  land  was  wild  and  uncultivated.  There 
were  few  homes  and  even  Taylorville  was 
nothing"  save  a  courthouse,  there  being  no 
residents  there  at  that  period.  Wild  game 
was  upon  the  prairies  and  the  entire  work  of 
improvement  and  advancement  lay  in  the 
future.  Mr.  Goodrich  has  borne  an  active 
and  helpful  part  in  the  work  of  upbuilding 
and  deserves  the  gratitude  of  present  and 
future  generations  for  what  he  has  accom- 
plished in  this  way. 

He  was  born  November  24,  18 18,  in 
Pittsfield,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts, 
a  son  of  Orrin  and  Lydia  Goodrich.  His 
father  was  born  January  15,  1771.  and  died 
on  the  17th  of  July.  1855.  For  more  than 
twenty-five  years  he  served  as  a  magistrate 
and  was  very  prominent  in  public  affairs, 
being  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  each 
branch  of  the  state  legislature.  He  aided 
in  molding  public  thought  and  action  and 
his  influence  was  felt  on  the  side  of  progress 
and  improvement.  In  1793  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  Sackett  and  after 
her  death  was  joined  in  w^edlock  to  Miss 
]\Iary  Bagg.  William  A.  Goodrich  remained 
in  Massachusetts  until  nineteen  years  of  age 
and  during  the  period  acc|uired  his  educa- 


382 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


-tion  in  the  ])ul)lic  schools.  -W  hen  a  }-ouns4" 
man,  amiMtions  and  energetic,  he  resolved 
to. seek  his  hcMiie  in  the  west  and  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportnnities  which  are  al- 
ways found  in  a  growing  Cduntry.  In  No- 
\eniber,  1837,  therefore,  he  arrived  in 
S])ringiield,  Illinois,  where  he  had  a  sister 
living. 

There  he  remained  tdr  two  years,  being 
engaged  in  railroading.  The  (la\-  following 
■the  ])residential  election  of  1840 — at  which 
time  he  cast  his  hrst  vote  for  Martin  Van 
iUn'en — he  came  to  Christian  comity.  His 
father  liad  ])m-chased  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  near  Mount  Auburn, 
Illinois,  for  which  he  ])aid  ten  dollars  per 
acre,  and  William  A.  Goodrich  and  his 
brother  settled  upon  that  land.  The}'  had  a 
team  of  horses  and  two  hundred  dollars  in 
money  w  ith  which  to  make  a  start  in  the  new 
country,  ddiey  were  wide-awake  and  pro- 
gressive and  for  ten  years  Mr.  Goodrich 
continued  to  reside  upon  that  farm,  laboring 
earnestly  in  its  develo])ment  and  producing 
e;xcellent  results  in  his  farm  w'ork. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1841,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Miss 
Maria  N.  Augur,  of  Mount  Auburn,  Illi- 
nois, who  died  in  1854.  L'nto  them  were 
born  three  children  1  Charles  b'rancis,  a 
farmer  residing  near  Taylorville;  Julia 
Helena,  deceased,  wife  of  T.  N.  Kichardson, 
who  is  living  near  the  comity  seat;  and 
Henry  Augustus,  who  follows  farming  near 
Taylorville.  On  the  17th  of  June,  1855, 
Mr.  Gocxlrich  was  again  married.  Ids  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Martha  A.  Ryan,  of 
Springfield,  Ohio,  by  whom  he  had  one  son. 
William  R.,  who  died  in  infancy.  In  1898 
Mr.  Goodrich  was  called  u])on  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  his  second  wife. 

In  jniblic  affairs  in  Christian  county  ]\Ir. 
Goodrich  has  been  .prominent  and  his  labors 


ha\e  been  \ery  helpful  and  beneficial  in 
many  ways.  In  August,  1843,  ^^^  ^^'^^^  elected 
surveyor  of  Christian  county  and  filled  that 
position  for  seven  years,  or  until  1850, 
when  he  was  elected  county  sheriff 
on  the  Democratic  ticket.  In  order 
to  more  readily  discharge  the  duties  of 
the  ]:)osition  he  took  u|)  his  abode  in  tbe 
city.  He  served  for  two  years  and  then  con- 
tinued as  deputy  sheriff'  under  \\'illiam  C. 
Brentz.  In  1854  he  was  again  elected 
sheriff,  but  liefore  the  expiration  of  his  sec- 
ond term  he  was  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  the  county  clerk's  office  and  was  the  in- 
cumbent in  that  position  for  more  than  four 
terms,  being  elected  at  four  successive  elec- 
tions. He  thus  served  for  seventeen  years 
and  in  iS^/J^  retired  from  office  as  he  had 
entered  it — with  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  the  pul)lic.  He  gave  his  allegiance 
to  the  Democratic  party  in  early  life  but  in 
1868  he  became  a  supporter  of  General 
Grant  and  has  since  affiliated  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  Keeping  well  informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  he  has 
ever  been  able  to  support  his  position  by  in- 
telligent argument. 

Mr.  Goodrich  liecame  interested  in  real 
estate  operations  and  in  this  line  has  done 
considerable  business.  He  erected  a  number 
of  residences  in  Tavlor\ille  and  in  1853  laid 
out  an  addition  of  forty  acres  to  the  city. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  having  become  a 
member  of  Mound  Lodge,  No.  122,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  in  Taylorville,  in  1852.  For  more 
than  half  a  century  he  ha^  been  a  worthy  fol- 
lower of  the  craft  and  exemplifies  in  his 
life  its  beneficent  teachings.  He  has  passed 
all  the  chairs  of  the  local  lodge,  has  been  a 
member  of  the  grand  lodge  and  has  also 
taken  the  degrees  of  the  Royal  Arch  chap- 
ter. His  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his 
membership    in    the    Baptist    church.     The 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


353 


residence  of  few  men  in  Christian  county 
antedates  that  of  Mr.  Goodrich.  When  he 
first  arrived  here  he  went  to  Taylorville  to 
have  the  deed  of  his  land  recorded  and  there 
was  not  a  building  in  the  town  save  the 
courthouse.  He  stood  on  the  courthouse 
steps  looking  for  miles  across  the  prairie 
and  he  saw  deer  and  wolves  on  the  present 
site  of  the  city.  He  has  taken  a  very  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  that  has 
been  done  here  in  the  way  of  improvement 
and  upbuilding  and  certainly  has  borne  his 
full  share  in  the  progress  of  the  county.  His 
business  affairs  have  been  very  carefully 
managed  and  has  resulted  in  bringing  to 
him  success.  In  public  office  he  has  been 
fearless,  faithful  and  honorable  and  over 
the  record  of  his  private  life  and  official 
career  there  falls  no  shadow^  of  wrong  or 
suspicion  of  evil. 


B.    F.    PARRISH. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  enterprising  farmers  of 
Bear  Creek  township,  his  home  being  on 
section  i.  He  was  born  on  the  26th  day  of 
July,  1846.  in  Hampshire  county,  West  Vir- 
ginia, of  which  state  his  parents,  Josiah  and 
Mary  A.  (Sloanaker)  Parrish,  were  also  na- 
tives. On  leaving  West  Virginia  in  1870 
the  father  came  to  Illinois  and  first  located 
in  La  Salle  county,  but  after  residing  there 
for  two  years  he  came  to  Christian  county, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
dying  here  in  1893.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject had  long  since  departed  this  life,  her 
death  occurring  in  West  Virginia  in  1864 
before  the  emigration  of  the  family  to  this 
state. 

B.  F.  Parrish  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  state  and  received  a  good  practical 
education  in  its  pul)lic  schools.     On  attain- 


ing his  majority  lie  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  by  w-orking  by  the  month  on  a  farm 
and  was  thus  employed  for  four  years,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land 
for  five  years.  In  1875  he  removed  to 
Clarksdale,  this  county,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  wagonmaking  and  blacksmithing 
until  1883.  Ii"*  partnership  ^\  ith  his  brother, 
D.  W.  Parrish,  he  made  his  hrst  purchase 
of  land,  consisting  of  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  five  acres,  and  they  afterward  bought 
sixty  acres  more  and  still  later  a  tract  of 
forty-five  acres,  making  two  hundred  and 
ten  acres.  In  1885  they  divided  the  prop- 
erty and  our  subject  has  since  added  to  his 
share  until  lie  now  has  three  hundred  eighty- 
four  and  a  half  acres.  He  has  made  all  of 
the  improvements  upon  the  place  and  has 
converted  it  into  one  of  the  most  desirable 
farms  of  its  size  in  the  county.  Fle  has  an 
interest  in  residence  property  and  six  lots  in 
Clarksdale  and  is  engaged  in  the  buying  and 
shipping  of  hay  at  that  place.  In  business 
affairs  he  has  ever  been  found  ujjright  and 
honorable  and  due  success  has  not  been  de- 
nied him. 

Mr.  Parrish  was  married  in  1878,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Martha  Ruckman, 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  Ruckman,  who  was  a 
native  of  West  Virginia.  She  died  on  the 
26th  of  February,  1899,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, namely :  Josiah.  who  is  married  and 
engaged  in  farming  in  Johnson  township ; 
and  Maggie,  at  home  with  her  father.  In 
June,  1901,  Mr.  Parrish  wedded  Mrs.  Ella 
Barrett,  a  daughter  of  Peter  English,  who 
was  a  native  of  Illinois.  By  this  union  one 
child  has  been  born,  Roy  Franklin. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Parrish  is  a  member  of 
the  Court  of  Holior  and  politically  is  a  su])- 
porter  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  filled 
the  office  of  highway  commissioner  for  ten 
vears  and  was  a  member  of  the  school  board 


384 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


for  fifteen  vears.  his  official  duties  Ijeing 
most  efticientlv  and  satisfactorily  performed. 
As  a  citizen  he  ever  stands  ready  to  dis- 
charge any  duty  that  devolves  upon  him 
and  he  stands  high  in  puhlic  esteem. 


JOSl'.IMl  11.  Kl'.k'r.MA.W. 

Success  is  determnied  hy  one's  ahilit)'  to 
lecognize  ()])portunily  and  to  ])ursue  this 
with  a  resolute,  untlagging  energy.  Jt  re- 
sults from  continued  lahor.  and  the  man 
who  thus  accomjjlishes  his  purpose  usually 
liecomes  an  important  factor  m  hnsiness  cir- 
cles of  the  communit}-  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected. Through  such  means  Air.  Bert- 
mann  has  attained  a  leading  place  among 
the  representative  men  of  Morrisonville  and 
his  well  spent  and  lionorahle  life  commands 
the  resi'CCt  of  all  who  kuow   him. 

Mr.  Bertmann  was  horn  on  a  farm  in  Jer- 
sev  countv,  this  state,  his  ])arents  heing 
I'^rederick  and  Antoinette  (Brockamp) 
Bertmann.  hoth  of  whom  are  of  (lerman  de- 
scent. The  father  was  horn  in  Germany  ou 
the  Jnd  of  January.  1840.  and  came  to  Am- 
erica in  i<S57.  when  seventeen  years  of  age. 
Me  hecame  a  resident  of  jersey  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  although  he  started  out  for  him- 
self w  ithout  ca])ital,  he  is  to-da}'  a  wealthy 
man,  estimated  to  he  worth  :d)out  seventy- 
fiNC  thousand  dollars  I  lis  time  and  atten- 
tion ha\'e  heen  mainlv  dex'oted  to  larming 
and  in  his  undertakmgs  he  has  heen  emi- 
nently successful.  Tie  has  reared  a  large 
family  of  eleven  childi'cn  and  i)ro\ided  all 
with  good  educatitjual  adv.anlages. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  J.  11.  IJerl- 
mann  attended  the  ])ul)lic  schools  near  his 
home.  At  an  early  age  it  hecame  his  desire 
to  enter  mercantile  life  and  when  nineteen 
he  became  identified  with  the  grocer}-  busi- 
ness   in    ATorrisonville.    taking   charge   of   a 


store  purchased  1)\'  his  father,  and  at  the  age 
of  twentv-one  he  bought  the  store  of  his 
father,  and  a.ltough  he  ran  ni  deht  for  it, 
b\'  close  attention  to  business  and  his  natural 
abilit\'  he  soon  increased  his  trade  and  set- 
tled the  obligation.  Later  he  ad<led  a  stock 
of  dry  goods.  car])ets,  boots  and  shoes  and 
to-day  has  one  of  the  best  equipped  general 
stores  in  the  county.  During  the  sixteen 
N'cars  he  has  carried  on  the  business  his  sales 
have  steadil}-  increased  even  during  the  hard 
times  and  he  now  enjo}-s  a  large  and  lucra- 
ti\e  trade.  He  occuines  a  new  double  store, 
ha\ing  fi\'e  thousand  s(|uare  feet  of  floor 
space  and  he  carries  a  stock  \-alued  between 
fifteen  and  twenty  thousand  dollars.  He  is 
also  a  director  in  the  b^irst  National  Bank 
of  Morrison \ille  and  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  busi- 
ness men  of  the  town. 

In  1889  Mr.  Bertmann  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Laura  hdeigle,  a  datighter  of 
Philip  Fleigie,  who  was  born  in  1  Pennsyl- 
vania of  German  parentage.  Lour  children 
bless  this  union,  namely:  Frederick,  Alarv. 
1  )ena  and  b'rank,  all  at  home.  The  family 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  clun.\-h 
and  stand  high  socially.  Air.  Bertmann  re- 
cently built  a  handsome  residence  at  a  cost 
of  seven  thousand  dollars,  it  being  supplied 
with  all  modern  impro\-ements.  Tt  stands 
in  the  midst  of  a  block  of  ground  and  is  an 
ornament  to  the  citv.  in  his  political  \iews 
Mr.  l)ertmann  is  a  ]^emocrat  and  was  pre- 
vailed tipon  to  serx'e  as  alderman  (^f  Morri- 
sonxille  one  term,  but  does  not  care  for  po- 
litical h(Miors.  preferring  to  devote  his  un- 
divided attention  to  his  family  and  business 
interests.  He  loses  no  time  from  his  busi- 
ness, not  e\'en  for  recreation.  He  likes,  how- 
ever, a  good  horse  and  keeps  one,  from 
which  he  derives  con.siderable  pleasure.  It 
is  bv  close  attention  to  business,   combined 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


387 


with  sound  judgment  and  good  executive 
ability,  that  he  has  met  with  the  wonderful 
success  that  has  crowned  his  efforts  and 
made  him  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
of  the  county. 


R.    W.    JOHNSON,    M.    D. 

Dr.  R.  W.  Johnson  is  now  engaged  in  tlie 
practice  of  medicine  in  Assum])tion  and  is 
also  proprietor  of  a  drug  store.  He  is  num- 
bered among  the  honored  citizens  of  Chris- 
tian county,  his  memory  forming  a  connect- 
ing link  between  the  primitiye  past  and  ihe 
progressiye  present.  He  has  been  one  ot 
the  upbuilders  of  Assumption  and  has  pro- 
moted its  material  interest  in  a  way  that  has 
produced  results  of  far-reaching  importance 
to  the  community.  His  acquaintance  is  so 
wide  and  the  regard  in  which  he  is  held  is 
SO'  universal  that  no  history  of  the  county 
-would  be  complete  without  mention  of  Dr. 
Johnson. 

A  native  of  Hampshire  county,  Virginia, 
the  Doctor  was  born  on  the  28th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1850,  a  son  of  Joseph  W.  and  Annie 
(Pugh)  Johnson.  His  father  became  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Christian  county. 
Leaving  his  old  home  in  Virginia,  he  trav- 
eled by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  and  thence  to  Illinois,  wdiere  he 
arrived  in  1852,  when  his  son,  the  Doctor, 
W'as  but  two  years  of  age.  The  only  railroad 
at  that  time  in  this  part  of  the  coinitry  was 
the  Great  Western,  now  a  part  of  the  Wa- 
l)ash  system.  Mr.  Johnson  continued  his 
journey  to  Springfield  over  that  road  and 
by  wagon,  traversed  the  twenty  miles  that 
lay  between  the  capital  and  his  destination. 
He  first  stopped  at  the  great  historic  place 
known  as  Blue  Point.  It  was  in  reality  but 
a  stage  station.  A  public  house  had  been 
opened  there  in   1830  and  supper,  lodging 


and  iH'eakfast  and  also  feed  for  the  horses 
was  furnished  for  fifty  cents  at  the  Blue 
Point  Inn.  At  one  time  Abraham  Lincoln 
owned  the  land  u])on  which  the  little  hos- 
telry stood.  Jose])h  \V.  Johnson  went  out 
upon  the  prairie  and  erected  a  log  cabin  in 
Buckhart  township,  being  one  of  the  first  tt) 
settle  in  that  part  of  the  county.  His  home 
was  east  of  the  present  town  of  Edinburg 
and  in  that  vicinity  he  improved  tw^o  good 
farms.  When  he  came  deer  were  to  be  seen 
in  great  droves  and  wild  game  of  all  kinds 
was  very  plentiful.  The  land  was  largely 
unclaimed  and  uncultivated  and  many  of  the 
now-  thriving  towns  and  villages  in  central 
-  Illinois  had  not  yet  sprung  into  existence. 
In  his  boyhood  days  the  Doctor  assisted  his 
father  in  breaking  prairie,  using  five  yoke  of 
oxen  and  a  plow^  He  remembers  wdth  pleas- 
ure many  of  the  incidents  of  pioneer  days, 
although  it  in\olved  much  labor  in  order  to 
reclaim  the  wild  land  for  the  purposes  of 
cultivation.  Dr.  Johnson  has  many  a  time 
cut  grain  with  a  sickle  and  has  assisted  in 
cradling  it.  He  has  also  cultivated  corn 
with  a  single  shovel  plow  and  in  those  days 
the  seed  was  dropped  by  hand  and  covered 
with  a  hoe.  After  the  corn  was  shelled, 
which  was  done  mostly  at  night,  it  was  taken 
into  the  house  and  placed  in  sacks  or  tied  up 
in  sheets  or  other  convenient  pieces  of 
cloth.  It  sold  at  Moweaqua  for  ten  or 
twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  bushel.  The 
•stock  was  dri\'en  to  St.  Louis,  wdiich  was 
the  nearest  market  and  the  men  often  had 
to  sleep  out  at  nights  when  taking  their  hogs 
to  that  city.  The  first  pair  of  trousers  which 
he  ever  owned  were  made  from  tow^  and  on 
more  than  one  occasion  he  has  helped  to 
scratch  flax.  In  those  old  days  the  sheep 
were  sheared  upon  the  farm  and  the  wool 
Avas  converted  into  clothing,  the  spinning 
wheels  being  operated   l)v  the   mother  and 


388 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


daughters  of  the  household  from  early 
morning  until  evening.  Many  men  went 
barefooted  to  church  for  in  those  days  the 
settlers  had  few  of  the  luxuries  and  even 
were  without  many  c)f  the  comforts  of  life 
of  the  present  day.  The  hrst  lam])  which 
the  Johnson  family  ever  had  was  made  by 
placing  grease  in  an  old  iron  teakettle  lid 
brought  from  Virginia  and  into  this  the  wick 
was  inserted.  Then  dipped  candles  were 
made  and  later  molds  were  used.  In  those 
old  pioneer  times  a  beef  was  killed  and  di- 
vided among  the  neighbors  and  the  tallow 
was  also  given  to  each  family  so  that  can- 
dles could  be  made  from  it.  Dr.  Johnson 
was  sixteen  years  of  age  before  he  pur- 
chased a  pair  of  shoes  at  a  store.  Every- 
thing used  upon  the  farm  either  for  eating 
or  for  clothing  was  of  home  manufacture. 
There  were  many  sloughs  and  ponds  in  the 
county  and  it  was  thought  that  there  was  no 
bottom  to  them  and  that  the  land  could  not 
possibly  be  made  cultivable. 

Dr.  Johnson  has  made  many  a  rail  for 
fences  and  in  fact  has  performed  all  the 
work  incident  to  the  cultivation  and  im- 
provement of  a  farm  in  the  early  days. 
Great  blizzards,  too,  would  sweep  over  the 
country  and  the  family  at  times  were  storm 
1)ound  for  days.  In  1870  Joseph  W.  John- 
son was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Edinburg,  before  the  town  was  incorpor- 
ated. Incorporation  t(X)k  place  in  1873  and 
he  was  then  elected  police  magistrate  and 
held  that  office  for  about  twentv  vears.  Dur- 
ing  the  last  fourteen  years  of  his  life  he 
lived  in  the  home  of  his  son.  Dr.  Johnson, 
where  he  passed  away  in  1896,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  died  in  i88t 
at  Edinburg  when  more  than  fifty  years  of 
age.  By  this  marriage  there  were  two  sons, 
the  younger  being  Edward  E.,  who  is  a 
graduate  of  the   Rush  Medical   College  of 


Chicago  and  is  now  a  prominent  practicing 
physician  of  Carroll,  Iowa. 

Dr.  R.  W.  Johnson  obtained  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  log  schoolhouse  supplied  with 
slab  benches.  School  was  conducted  on  the 
subscription  jjlan  and  he  had  to  walk  four 
miles  each  morning  and  evening  in  order  to 
enjoy  the  advantages  of  instruction  afforded 
in  that  primitive  temple  of  learning.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  months  his  aid  was  needed 
upon  the  farm  and  from  the  time  of  early 
spring  planting  until  crops  were  harvested 
in  the  late  autumn  he  worked  in  the  fields 
so  that  there  were  only  left  the  winter 
months,  in  which  he  might  attend  school. 
However,  he  was  ambitious  to  secure  an 
education  and  when  a  boy  of  about  seventeen 
years  he  worked  for  his  board  in  Taylor- 
ville  in  order  that  he  might  attend  the  public 
schools  of  that  city.  He  lived  with  a  physi- 
cian and  had  to  curry  the  Doctor's  horse  and 
perform  other  work  about  the  place.  On 
one  occasion  the  Doctor  gave  him  some  pills 
to  make.  This  was  the  beginning  of  his 
services  in  connection  with  the  medical  pro- 
fession. He  rather  liked  the  work  assigned 
to  him  and  took  a  fancy  to  reading  medical 
text-books.  He  says  that  he  owes  his  con- 
nection with  the  medical,  fraternity  to  Dr. 
Lewis  Clark,  who  is  now  living  retired  in 
Decatur.  In  1869  he  entered  the  Cincinnati 
College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  and  was 
graduated  in  1872.  During  his  collegiate 
days  he  also  read  and  studied  under  the  di- 
rection of  Dr.  J.  Peebles,  then  of  Edinburg, 
Illinois,  but  now  of  Nebraska. 

After  his  graduation  Dr.  Johnson  went  to 
Shelby  county,  Illinois,  and  opened  an  office 
at  Oconee  in  the  fall  of  1872.  There  he  wns 
successfully  established  in  a  good  practice 
within  a  short  time  and  continued  the  work 
there  until  1877.  when  he  came  to  Assump- 
tion.    After  five  years'  practice  here  he  pm- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


3S9 


chased  of  Mr.  Brown  a  drug  store  and  has 
conducted  it  continuously  in  connection  with 
his  practice  since  1882  and  in  the  early  days 
he  rode  over  the  country  on  horseback,  un- 
less the  sloughs  made  it  impossible  to  do  even 
this,  when  he  would  have  to  cover  the  dis- 
tance on  foot.  In  1877  he  opened  his  office 
in  the  Commercial  block,  where  he  is  still 
located.  He  now  has  a  well  equipped  office 
supplied  with  the  accessories  necessary  to 
facilitate  his  medical  practice  and  surgical 
work  and  he  keeps  in  touch  with  the  ad- 
vanced thoug'ht  of  the  times  and  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  ministrations  to  suf- 
fering humanity. 

When  Dr.  Johnson  arri\ed  in  Assump- 
tion it  was  a  little  village  of  about  three 
hundred  inhabitants,  most  of  the  people 
being  French.  Cattle  were  still  here  in  the 
corporation  limits  and  the  houses  were  very 
few.  He  was  the  first  to  have  laid  a  twelve- 
foot  sidewalk  in  front  of  his  place.  He  has 
bought  and  sold  considerable  real  estate  and 
at  the  present  time  is  engaged  c[uite  largely 
in  speculating  in  land.  He  laid  out  the  east 
part  of  the  town.  He  has  served  as  super- 
visor of  Assumption  township  for  eight 
years  and  has  -been  a  member  of  the  town 
board  and  of  the  school  board  and  has  exer- 
cised his  official  prerogatives  for  the  sub- 
stantial improvement  of  his  city.  He  or- 
ganized the  Hackberry  Camp,  M.  W.  A., 
and  remained  with  it  as  one  of  its  charter 
members. 

Dr.  Johnson  was  married  in  Oconee,  Shel- 
by county,  IlHnois,  March  10,  1874,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Augusta  Hinton, 
who  was  born,  reared,  educated  and  married 
in  that  town.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Hinton,  a  merchant  and  prominent  citizen 
of  Oconee  and  also  an  extensive  cattle 
trader.  He  married  Mary  E.  Whitington, 
also    of    Shell)y    county,    the    Whitingtons 


being  among  the  earliest  pioneer  settlers 
there.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinton  are  now 
deceased.  L^nto  Dr.  Johnson  and  his  wife 
have  been  born  fourteen  cliildren,  but  three 
of  the  number  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are :  (jertie,  who  is  a  popular  school  teacher 
in  West  End  school  of  Assumption ;  Roy, 
who  is  assisting  his  father  in  the  drug  store; 
Charles,  who  having  graduated  in  the 
Assumption  schools,  afterward  attended 
Bloomington  University  for  two  years  and 
is  now  a  student  in  the  College  of  Physicians 
&  Surgeons  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Roberta, 
who  is  a  nurse  in  Bennett  Hospital  of  Chi- 
cago ;  Blanche,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  As- 
sumption school ;  Robert ;  Joseph  ;  Ivy ;  Mar- 
cas  L. ;  Sadie ;  and  Helen.  Marcas  was 
named  in  honor  of  the  pioneer  of  Assump- 
tion, who  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-four 
years.  Dr.  Johnson  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  As- 
sumption and  they  live  in  a  modern  home 
east  of  the  church.  In  Assumption  they  are 
very  widely  and  favorably  known  and  with- 
out invidious  distinction  Dr.  Johnson  might 
well  be  termed  one  of  the  foremost  residents 
of  Assumption  and  of  Christian  county. 


WILLIAM    O.    WINTERS. 

William  O.  Winters,  one  of  Rosamond 
township's  best  and  most  reliable  citizens, 
was  born  on  the  4th  of  October,  1835,  ^'^ 
Winterville,  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  which 
place  was  named  in  honor  of  his  great- 
grandfather, Isaiah  Winters,  who  v^^as  one 
of  the  first  settlers  in  that  locality  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  Our  subject's  grand- 
father, Abraham  Winters,  followed  the 
same  pursuit  and  continued  to  make  his 
home  in  Jefferson  county  throughout  life. 
That  county  was  the  birthplace  of  our  sub- 


390 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ject's  father.  Wilson  Winters,  and  there  he 
was  married  to  .Miss  I'riseilhi  Lake.  Like 
his  ancestors  he  also  eni^ai^ed  in  a^ricultnral 
pursnits.  'i'wo  rears  after  his  son  came  ti» 
this  ccmntv  he  renioxed  thither  and  died  here 
in  1873.  at  the  ag-e  of  sixty-two  years.  His 
wife,  \\  ho  long  snr\i\ed  him.  passed  away 
in  1897,  at  the  advanced  ag-e  of  eighty- four. 
They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children, 
six  sons  and  si.x  daughters,  all  of  whom 
reached  man  and  ^\•omanhood.  and  one  son 
and  three  daughters  are  still  livmg. 

During  his  bovhood  William  O.  Winters 
attended  the  Red  school  house  in  Wells 
townshi]).  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  and  early 
became  faiuiliar  with  farm  work  in  its 
various  departments.  He  also  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
about  fifteen  years.  l)ut  his  time  and  atten- 
tion have  mainly  been  devoted  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  When  the  country  became 
involved  in  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  was  in  the  service  twelve  months. 
participating  in  the  engagements  at  Nash- 
A'ille.  Tnllahoma.  Chattanooga  and  Stone 
kixer.  On  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge he  returned  to  his  home  in  Jefferson 
county,  Ohio,  and  worked  in  the  car  shops 
at  Steubenville.  Ohio,  for  three  vears. 

.\t  Wcllsville.  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  Mr. 
Winters  was  married  Febrnarv  11.  t868. 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Kirk])atrick,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Sarah  (Culbert)  Kirk- 
l)atrick,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland  and 
pioneers  of  Jefferson  county,  Ohio.  AFrs. 
Winters  was  born  February  24.  1841,  and 
is  the  voungest  in  a  familv  of  eight  children, 
ol  whom  two  died  in  infancv  and  Albert 
after  reaching  manhood.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
^^'inters  have  six  children:  Isaac  and  Rob- 
ert, both  residents  of  Rosamond  township; 


Thomas,  now  in  California;  Delia  May,  at 
home;  Birdie  1\.,  wife  of  Getys  Graden,  who 
li\es  near  ()hlman.  .Montgomery  count}', 
Illinois;  and  William  W  ..  at  home. 

It  was  on  the  _'d  of  January.  1867.  that 
.Mr.  Winters  came  to  Christian  county.  Illi- 
nois, and  took  up  his  residence  on. section 
15,  Rosamond  townshi]).  .\t  that  time  not 
one-third  of  the  land  of  the  township  was 
under  cultivation  and  his  own  tract  of  eighty 
acres  was  wild  and  unimproved  but  he  soon 
placed  it  under  the  jjIow  and  he  had  a  fine 
farm.  He  has  added  to  liis  place  and  now 
has  two  hundred  acres  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  well  impro',-ed  with  good 
buildings.  His  first  home  here  was  a  small 
house,  only  sixteen  \)\  twent}'  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, and  the  walls  were  unplastered  until 
the  fall  after  hi^  arrival  here.  The  ground 
was  so  wet  at  that  time  that  he  had  to  dig 
down  onh-  eight  or  ten  feet  for  water,  which 
was  drawn  from  the  \\t\\  \^\■  a  bucket. 
Things  ha\e  materially  changed  since  that 
time  an<l  ?\[r.  \\'inters  has  all  of  the  com  en- 
iences  and  accessories  found  upon  the  well 
regulated  farms  of  the  present  day.  His 
]>resent  comfortable  residence  was  erecte<l  in 
i88,:5. 

]Mr.  \\'inters  is  devoutly  religious  and  be- 
longs to  what  is  known  as  the  .\ssembl_\"  of 
God.  Ft  matters  not  to  this  organixation  to 
what  church  or  religious  denomination  (^ne 
mav  belong  for  ''where  one  or  two  are  gath- 
ered together  in  .M\-  name  there  will  1  be 
also."  and  with  them  all  ])eo])le  may  wor- 
shi]).  In  Mr.  Winters'  home  memorial 
ser\'ices  are  held  on  the  hrst  day  of  the  week 
and  all  are  invited  to  ])artici])ate.  .\s  an 
earnest  Christian  gentleman,  thoronghh- 
consistent  in  all  things,  he  commands  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
is  brought  in  contact. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


391 


T.   J.    \  IDLLR. 

The  sldck-raisiiii;'  interests  of  ecntral  I  Hi 
nnis  are  \\ell  i"e])resente(l  l)y  T.  j.  A'idler, 
])r(i])i"iet()r  of  the  FJniWDod  stock  farm  and 
his  re])ntation  in  this  (hrection  has  extended 
o\er  a  wide  territor}'.  lie  is  especially  well 
known  as  a  hreeder  of  pure  hred  Aberdeen- 
Angus  cattle  and  standard  hred  trottino- 
horses  and  his  business  has  become  a  profita- 
ble r)ne.  At  the  same  time  it  has  been  of 
direct  benefit  to  the  agricultural  community 
through  the  raising  of  the  standard  of  stock 
in  this  locality  and  thereby  the  promotion  of 
prices  paid  on  the  market. 

Mv.  A'^idler  was  horn  in  (Iriggsville.  Pike 
count}',  Illinois,  in  1858,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Mary  A.  Vidler.  The  family  is  of 
English  lineage.  The  father  was  born  in 
Sussex,  England,  and  came  to  the  LInited 
States  in  1854.  settling  first  in  Rochester. 
New  York.  He  afterward  ^vent  to  Crigo-s- 
\ille.  Illinois,  where  be  turned  bis  attention 
to  the  manufacture  of  brick.  In  1866  be 
came  to  Pana,  where  he  began  contracting 
and  Inulding-  in  connection  with  brick  maiui- 
facturing.  His  business  grew  to  extensi\e 
and  im])ortant  proportions  and  resulted  in 
bringing  to  him  success.  He  died  in  Pana 
in  the  year  1899  and  thus  i)assed  away  one 
of  the  representative  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  the  state. 

Thomas  J.  Vidler,  whose  name  intro- 
du.ctd  tliis  record,  ac(|uire(l  his  earh'  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Pana  and  afterward 
became  a  student  in  Jackson\ille,  Illinois. 
No  event  of  s])eciad  importance  occurred  in 
his  boyhood  days  to  change  the  course  of 
his  career  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years 
he  started  ()Ut  in  life  on  bis  own  account. 
He  was  first  employed  as  a  bookkeeper  at 
Dunkle,  Illinois,  by  the  firm  of  Dunkle 
I  brothers  and   afterward   he  became  deputy 


treasurer  of  Christian  county  under  \\^  I. 
Jordan,  while  subse(juentl\-  he  tilled  the  same 
])osition  under  James  Wdnte.  The  l.asl 
named  gentleman  died  while  in  office  and 
Mr.  A'idler  was  then  elected  to  1:11  out  the 
unex])ire(l  term.  On  bis  retirenient  from 
otiicial  life  he  entered  the  employ  of  A.  G. 
Barnes,  of  Taylorville.  as  cashier  in  bis  bank 
and  there  remained  for  two  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Pana 
and  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  and  real 
estate  business  for  some  time.  He  was  also 
for  ten  years  the  cashier  of  the  Eirst  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Pana,  which  was  organized 
m  1889.  Mr.  Vidler  now  owns  a  stock  farm 
of  three  hundred  acres,  pleasantly  and  con- 
veniently located  about  four  miles  south  of 
Pana.  He  is  here  engaged  in  the  l)reeding 
and  raising  of  standard  bred  trotting  horses 
and  has  raised  and  trained  a  number  of  fine 
animals,  including  Belle  V.,  with  a  record  of 
2:22j4:  Katie  V.,  2:21^4;  and  Magnolia 
v.,  2  :24T/.  His  place  is  known  as  the  Elm- 
wood  stock  farm  and  in  recent  years  he  has 
given  much  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
l)reeding  of  pure  bred  Aberdeen-Angus  cat- 
tle, of  \vbich  he  has  a  herd  of  sixty  head. 
He  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  i)rom- 
inent  stockdealers  of  Christian  county  and 
has  a  well  imjiroved  farm.  Recently  his 
barns  were  destroyed  by  fire,  but  be  is  now 
rebuilding  them  and  he  kee])s  evervthing 
about  his  i)lace  in  excellent  condition,  neat- 
ness :\n(\  thrift  characterizing  the  ])ro])erty 
in  all  of  its  departments. 

In  i88i  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Vidler  and  ]\liss  Isabelle  Hogan,  a 
daughter  of  J.  H(\gan,  of  Pana.  ddus  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
one  son  and  three  daughters,  namely :  Ean- 
nie.  May.  Paul  and  Lois,  all  yet  at  home. 
The  wife  and  mother  belongs  to  the  Catholic 
church,      Mr.    Vidler   is   a    very  prominent 


392 


I'AST   AX  I)    I'kl'-.SI'.X 


Mason.  lia\  iiit^  atlaiin'(l  the  lliirty-sccniid  de- 
cree i)f  the  Scollisli  ritf.  I  If  also  liclnn^s  tn 
the  Mediiiah  'l\'ni])Ic  nf  the  Mystie  Shrine  in 
(hicaiLi'o,  Hhnois.  and  his  name  is  on  the 
nieniliersliijj  roll  of  die  Kni^lits  of  I'\tliias 
T.<Hl»e  at  I'ana.  In  ])iihtics  lie  is  an  earnest 
Democrat,  l)ehe\inj4"  hrniK-  in  the  ])rinci|)les 
of  the  ])art\  and  he  tilled  the  office  of  town 
clerk  for  two  terms.  lie  has  also  heen  a 
member  of  the  school  board  tor  eig'liteen 
vears  and  is  lilliiii;-  that  ])osition  at  the  pres- 
ent \\ritin,<;'.  The  cause  of  education  has  in- 
deed found  in  him  a  cliam])ion.  one  who  is 
untiring-  in  his  efforts  to  j^roniote  the  ef- 
ficiency of  the  scliools  b\'  raising  the  stand- 
ard of  instruction.  He  has  ever  taken  an 
active  and  helpful  interest  in  public  affairs 
and  his  record  altogether  is  one  most  com- 
men(lal)le.  He  has  ever  discharged  his  du- 
ties with  marked  ability  and  fairness,  for  lie 
is  a  most  loval,  i)ul)lic-spirited  citizen.  As 
a  Imsiness  man  he  lias  been  conspicuous 
among  his  associates,  not  only  for  his  suc- 
cess, but  for  his  ])rol)itv,  fairness  and  bonor- 
able  methods.  In  e\-erytbing  be  lias  been 
eminently  ]iractical  and  this  has  been  mani- 
fest not  only  in  his  business  undertakings, 
but  also  in  social  and  private  life. 


CHRTSTOPH  WUCHERPFENNirx. 

Si/Uiid  judgment  combined  with  line  abil- 
ity in  nieclianical  bnes  has  enabled  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biograpby — a  well-known  black- 
sniitb  of  Morrison ville — to  attain  a  sub- 
stantial success  in  life,  and  bis  history  is  of 
especial  interest.  He  was  1iorn  in  ?^Iadison 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  T^ecember, 
i(S48,  and  is  a  son  of  Henr)-  and  Margrate 
W'ucherpfennig,  both  natixes  of  Germain', 
llie  father,  who  was  a  stone-mason  Iw- 
trade,  (bed  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years. 

At  the  age  of  eight  Christoph  Wucber- 


l)fennig  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  .\lontgomer\'  couiitw  Illinois,  and 
the  following  three  )-ears  A\ere  spent  upon  a 
farm  there,  but  after  the  death 'of  his  father, 
^\hich  occurred  when  our  subject  was  only 
elex'en  vears  old,  he  renioxed  with  his  mother 
to  Edwards  ville,  this  state,  completing  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  that  citw 
It  x\as  bis  early  ambition  to  learn  some 
trade,  so  at  the  age  of  sixteen  be  apprenticed 
himself  to  a  cooper,  but  as  that  work  pro\ed 
uncongenial  be  follo^^■ed  it  only  one  year. 
He  then  made  a  contract  with  one  of  the 
best  blacksmiths  of  his  day  to  learu  that 
trade,  the  first  year  to  receive  forty  dollars, 
the  second  sixty  dollars  and  the  third  one 
bundred  dollars  and  twenty-five  more  if  he 
should  remain  until  the  term  of  bis  contract 
expired,  which  be  did,  accordingly  receiving 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  for  the 
last  year's  serxice.  ^^'isbing  to  make  a 
change  at  the  .end  of  that  time  he  began 
work  as  a  journeyman  a\  ith  another  black- 
smitb  of  Edwards\-ille  and  after  lieing  in 
his  employ  for  a  time  he  went  to  St.  Louis. 
x\  here  he  worked  at  bis  trade  for  about  eight 
months.  His  em])loyer  in  that  city  was  a 
manufacturer  of  plows,  in  \\liich  line  be  had 
cjuite  a  reputation,  and  there  Mr.  Wucher- 
pfennig  learned  the  difficult  art  of  setting 
a  plow  correctly.  Avhicb  has  l)een  of  great 
adxantage  t(^  him  in  later  years.  Tn  1870 
he  came  to  ?\l()rrison\-ille  and  built  the  first 
blacksmith  slio]:)  at  this  jilace.  where  he  has 
now  worked  at  the  ainil  for  thirty-three 
Acars  \\itbout  intermission.  Tn  1888  he  re- 
placed the  old  slio])  by  a  more  commodious 
and  substantial  building  thirtx'  b\'  htt\'  teet 
in  dimension,  with  an  engine  and  storeroom 
fourteen  by  eighteen  feet,  in  which  he  has 
a  six  liorse-jKwver  engine.  He  has  two 
forces  and  does  the  most  extensive  business 
in  his  line  in  the  city.     By  his  good  w-ork- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  JLTINOJS. 


393 


maiislii])  and  honorable  dealing  lie  has  l)uilt 
n|)  an  excellent  trade  and  has  succeeded  in 
accumulating"  some  nice  i)ro])ert}\  inchuhng 
two  business  liouses  on  Main  street  and  two 
residences  beside  his  own  comfortable  home, 
A\  hich  is  an  eight-room  house  built  l)y  him 
in  1870.  From  this  proi)erty  he  now  derives 
a  good  income. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1870,  Mr. 
W'ucherpfennig  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Minnie  Laufkestter,  and  the\  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  seven  children,  namelv  : 
Mrs.  Anna  G.  Hell  ring,  who  has  ihree  chil- 
dren ;  Cornelius,  Edmund  and  Christ; 
Charles  H.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  imple- 
ment business  in  Morrisonville ;  Dena,  who 
is  clerking  in  the  .store  of  J.  H.  Bertmann ; 
Joseph  (i.,  who  is  learning  the  blacksmith's 
trade  with  his  father;  Wilhelmina  E.,  who 
is  keeping  house  for  her  uncle;  Mary  A., 
who  is  taking  a  business  course  at  the 
Catholic  convent;  and  Elizabeth  C,  who  is 
attending  school. 

Mr.  A\\iclierpfennig  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  for  one  term  he  served 
as  township  collector,  but  his  time  and  at- 
tention have  mostly  been  devoted  to  his  busi- 
ness interests.  He  is  a  man  whose  word  is 
considered  as  good  as  his  bond  and  he  is 
held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know  liim. 


H.  A.  DANFORD. 


H.  A.  Danford  is  a  representative  of  the 
journalistic  interests  of  Christian  countv- 
Since  1896  he  has  been  the  owner  and  editor 
of  the  Stonington  Star,  a  weekly  paper 
which  has  c|uite  a  large  circulation.  Mr. 
Danford  was  born  in  Denver,  Missouri,  in 
1874,  a  son  of  Peter  and  Nancy  Danford, 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Ohio.  Remov- 
ing to  Grant  City,  Missouri,  Peter  Danford 


was  there  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
nine  years  and  in  1878  he  came  with  his 
family  to  Owaneco,  Christian  county,  where 
lie  again  engaged  in  teaching  for  several 
years.  In  1888,  however,  he  abandoned  ed- 
ucational work  and  entered  the  journalistic 
field,  purchasing  the  luirnicrs'  Journal  of 
Taylorville.  He  published  it  for  a  year  and 
then  sold  out,  turning  his  attention  to  the 
grocery  business  in  Owaneco,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1896.  He  then  bought  a  paper 
])ublished  in  that  town  and  removed  the 
plant  to  Stonington.  He  also  established 
another  paper  at  Mount  Auburn,  Illinois, 
but  sold  it  after  one  year — in  1901.  In  1898 
he  disposed  of  his  paper  in  Stonington  and 
was  again  engaged  in  the  grocerv  business 
for  a  time.  He  is  now  serving  as  police 
magistrate  and  notary  pulilic  of  Stonington 
and  is  well  known  in  public  affairs  there, 
heing  a  progressive  and  enterprising  citizen. 
At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  proved  his 
loyalty  to  the  government  by  enlisting  in  the 
Union  Army,  in  July,  1861,  as  a  member 
of  Company  F  Eighteenth  Ohio  Infantry. 
He  continued  in  the  service  until  the  fall  of 
1864  and  participated  in  a  number  of  im- 
portant battles  which  contributed  to  the 
splendid  success  which  ultimately  crowned 
the  Union  arms. 

To  the  public  schools  system  of  Christian 
county  H.  A.  Danford  is  indebted  f(H-  the 
educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  He 
continued  his  studies  until  iifteen  years  of 
age  and  then  started  to  earn  his  own  living 
by  working  as  a  farm  hand,  which  |)ursuit 
he  followed  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
In  that  year  he  removed  to  Stonington  and 
joined  his  father  in  the  newspaper  enter])rise 
as  the  publisher  of  the  Stonington  Star.  In 
1896  he  purchased  his  father's  interest  and 
has  since  been  owner  and  publisher  of  this 
journal.     In  his  printing  office  he  employs 


804 


PAST  AND   I'RKSr.NT 


tdur  iiK'ii  and  is  doiiiiL;'  a  ])ayinv  Imsincss. 
Tlic  Slur  has  a  circulali<in  <>\  cij^lit  liundrcd. 
Tills  paper  is  puhlislicd  weekly  and  Mr. 
l)anlOrd  is  lo-day  doini;'  a  prosperous  liusi- 
ness.  lia\inii"  a  larger  i)atrona^"e  llian  is  nsu- 
all\-  obtained  in  a  town  of  the  size  of  Ston- 
ington. 

On  the  _'5th  of  Se])tenihcr.  1898.  ]\lr. 
Danford  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mvrtle  ITorton,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Hor- 
lon.  a  nati\e  of  hdora.  Illinois.  Two  chil- 
dren grace  this  miion  :  Mildred.  a\  ho  is 
fotn-  years  of  age;  and  Alden,  three  month.s 
old.  The  ])arents  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episc()])al  chin"ch  and  they  are  widely 
and  fa\-orahl\-  known  in  the  county,  having 
a  large  circle  of  warm  friends.  Mr.  Dan- 
ford  is  a  progressi\e  citizen  and  through  the 
cohimns  of  his  paper  as  well  as  in  other 
ways  he  advocates  all  measures  for  the  gen- 
eral good  and  chamjjions  e\ery  movement  to 
ad\ance  general  impro\-ement. 


T.  T.  BERRY. 

T.  T.  Berry,  one  of  Mount  Auhmii  town- 
shi])'s  most  ])r()minent  and  intluential  citi- 
zens, his  home  being  on  section  15,  was  born 
in  Kentticky.  Febniary  18.  1838,  and  is  a 
Son  of  \\\  TT.  .and  T*d\ira  (Tavk:)r)  Berr^•, 
also  natives  of  that  state  and  both  now  de- 
ceased, the  mother  baxing  died  in  1852  and 
the  father  in  1882.  Reared  in  Kentucky, 
I'tir  subject  attended  'die  (Hstrict  schools  near 
his  bovhood  home  and  din'inii'  his  minoritv 
gave  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  labors. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Berrv  went 
to  Tikes  Peak.  Colorado,  in  search  of  gold. 
dri\-ing  across  the  (ountr\-  with  ox  teams, 
btit  the  venture  was  a  failure  as  he  saw  noth- 
ing but  Indians  and  soon  si)ent  all  that  be 
had,  returning  home  emptydianded  at  the 
end  of  a  year.     Renting  a  farm  in  Tennes- 


see, be  engageil  m  .'igricultural  jmr^uits  in 
that  ;^lale  until  1871,  and  then  came  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  hi'st  iii  .Menard  county,  where 
be  made  bi>  home  until  i8"7.  The  follow- 
ing ten  years  were  ])asse(l  in  Sangamon 
County  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Christian  C(»tuit_\'  locat- 
ing on  the  farm  in  Mount  .\ul>urn  townsbii) 
where  he  now  li\es.  Here  he  follows  gen- 
eral farming  with  good  success,  being  a  man 
of  good  business  ability,  as  well  as  a  thor- 
ough and  i)ractical  agriculturist. 

.Mr.  lU-rry  was  married  in  T863  to  Miss 
Sarah  ¥.  Landrum.  b}-  whom  he  had  two 
cbddren.  namely:  A  iola  \\,  wife  of  P. 
Hamel,  a  farmer  of  Christian  county;  and 
Tu'nest  P.,  who  is  married  and  li\ing  in  Cal- 
ifornia. The  mother  of  these  children  died 
in  1870,  and  two  years  later  ]\p-.  Berry 
wedded  Miss  Anna  E.  \\'orthington,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  ^^^Jrthing■ton.  of  Men- 
ard cotmty.  Her  grandfather,  Robert 
W'orthington,  Sr.,  married  a  si.ster  of  Ed- 
ward Tit^n,  the  first  governor  of  Ohio,  and 
she  is  also  related  to  Thomas  Worthington, 
another  of  the  early  governors  of  that  state, 
he  being  a  brother  of  her  great-grandfather. 
1die  children  born  to  ]\p-.  and  ^P^s.  Berry 
are  as  follows:  Robert  A\  .,  now  a  resident 
of  S])ringfield,  Illinois;  Clarence  E..  who 
is  li\ing  in  Chicago;  Edna  ^^^,  wife  of  Dr. 
1  lolben,  of  ]\P)unt  .\uburn  ;  and  S.  D.  W. 
and  (irover  C,  both  at  home  with  their  par- 
ents. 

The  faniil}-  bold  membershi])  in  the  Meth- 
odist F.piscojjal  church  at  (lro\-e  City  and 
.Mr.  Perr}-  belongs  to  the  camp  of  Modern 
Woodmen  at  thai  ])lacc.  I'y  his  ballot  he 
su])ports  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Dem- 
o'Tatic  i)art\-  and  he  has  e\er  taken  an  ac- 
tive and  ])roniinent  ]);u"t  in  local  jjolitics. 
lie  is  now  serxing  as  supervisor  of  Mount 
Aubiu'u  townshi]).  having  for  fourteen  3-ears 


T.   T.   BERRY 


MRS.   T.    T.    BERRY 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


;v.)r> 


filled  tlial  (ifticc  willi  credit  to  hinij^elf  and 
\i)  the  entire  satisfaction  of  Ills  constituents, 
and  he  was  cliairman  of  the  lioard  iive  years. 
He  does  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  in- 
terests of  his  township  and  county  and  it 
was  largely  through  his  instrumentality  that 
the  new  courthouse  was  erected.  He  is  serv- 
ing his  second  term  as  school  (h.rector  and 
never  withh.olds  his  aid  from  any  object 
calculated  to  advance  the  moral,  social,  or 
material  welfare  of  the  community. 


ED\A^\RD   EWING  ADAMS. 

Edward  Ewing  and  Alfred  Adams  com- 
pose the  law  firm  of  Adams  Brothers.     The 
former  settled  in  this  county  in  1899  and  the 
latter   in    1894.      Their    family   stem    is   of 
English  origin  though  planted  in   America 
in    colonial    days.     Nathaniel    Adams,    the 
ereat-sTeat-grand father,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.     The  exact  place  of  his 
l)irth  is  not  known,  hut  when  a  young  man 
he  was  at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  it  is 
supposed  that   he  married.      His   wife  was 
Rachel   Chambers  and   their   children   were 
Charles,  Robert,  Nathaniel,  James,  Joseph, 
John  and  two  daughters.     Charles,  wdio  was 
a  sea  captain,  died  unmarried  at  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  \\hile  Rol)ert  and  Nathaniel 
settled    in    Mason    county,    Kentucky,    and 
there  reared  families.     The  county  records 
show  that  Robert  was  married  March    19, 
1796,  to  Rachel  Hull.     James,  unmarried, 
was  hurt  hv  a  falling  tree  and  never  fully 
recovered.     Joseph,  wdio  was  born  January, 
T769,  and  died  October   18,   1844,  was  first 
married  to  Bridget  Curran  and  afterward  to 
Nancv    Smith,    and    his    death    occurred    in 
Madison  county,   Indiana. 

John  Chambers  Adams,  the  great-grand- 
father of  the  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  was  born  in  Philadel])hia 


in     1777    and    followed    the    occupati<jn    of 
farming.      His    death    occurred     in     Dallas 
county,    Iowa,    December    ](>,     1862.       He 
wedded    Martha    Walburn.     who    was    of 
\\'elsh    descent    and    was    born    in    Sussex 
county,    New    Jersey,    in    1776.    while    her 
death  occurred  in  LTrliana,  Ohio,  about  1834. 
The   father  of  John   Chambers   Adams   re- 
moved    from    Philadelphia     to     ^  h-eenbrier 
county.   West  Virginia,   where   he  died  1)e- 
fore  1798  and  in  that  year  John  Chambers 
Adams  removed  to  Kentucky,  stopping  first 
in     Mason     county,     where     he     had     two 
lirothers.     In  1800  he  took  up  his  alx)de  on 
a  farm  four  miles  west  of  Springfield,  Ohio. 
It  was  stipulated  that  he  should  receive  the 
paternal  estate  in  West  Virginia  on  condi- 
tion that  he  would  care  for  his  mother  and 
brother    James.     They    came    with    him    to 
Ohio,  where  Ixith   died.      Some  slaves  also 
fell    to    his    lot,    which    he   afterward    sold 
against    the   wishes   of   his   wife,    who   held 
anti-slavery  opinions  even  at  that  early  date 
and  to  this  she  always  attributed  whatever 
bad  luck  befell  them.     Their  children  were 
Robert    W.,    John,    Sarah,    Mary,    Rachel, 
Rebecca,  Harvey,  Wesley,  Nathaniel,  Isaac 
Newton,   Minerva,   Eliza  and  Martha.      Of 
these  Rebecca  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  and 
Minerva   at  nineteen   years,   in    Springfield, 
Ohio,   but   all   the   others   married   and   had 
families. 

lohn  Adams,  the  grandfather,  Ijorn  in 
Clark  county,  Ohio,  in  180J,  died  in  Green- 
ville, Illinois,  April  15,  1877.  His  wife, 
Mary  Bacon,  was  born  in  Angelica,  New 
York.  June  3,  1804,  and  died  Ai)ril  19,  1877, 
at  Greenville,  Illinois.  l*"or  a  short  time  he 
was  a  keel-boatman  on  the  Mississijipi  river 
but  afterward  became  a  cooper.  He  first 
resided  near  Springfield,  Ohio,  and  kept  the 
toll-gate  on  the  pike",  while  subsequently  he 
lived  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  I'ippecanoe  conn- 


4  00 


PAST  AND  l'Kr<:SP.N'r 


t\.  Iiuliana,  in  Alltui,  llliiinis.  and  tlu'ii  alter 
several  other  I'eninxals  settled  in  liimd 
eountv,  llliiidis.  in  1S5J.  there  li\ini^  nnlil 
his  death,  llisehildren  were:  Jackson,  who 
(lied  in  inl'anc\';  Xelson.  who  was  horn  Jnne 
S.  1SJ7.  in  (.'lark  ci  mntw  (  )hii  1 ;  I  .enuiel.  w  h<  1 
was  horn  .Vprd  30.  iS^^i.  in"  llarshnians- 
ville.  Ohio;  Sarah  j.ane.  who  was  horn  in 
the  same  i)lace  in  iSj;^:^  and  died  in  1^50  at 
Indianapolis.  Indiana:  John,  who  was  horn 
Ajiril  ^^o.  1S35.  in  West  Point.  Indiana: 
William,  horn  June  3.  li^.V*^-  ''i  'ri])])ecanoe 
eountv,  Indiana,  and  died  at  W'alsin  ille.  Illi- 
nois. Octoher  21.  iSC)3:  and  Harrison,  horn 
August  J().  1841.  at  W'oodhurn.  Illinois. 

The  Bacon  t'amil\-  was  from  Xew  Eng- 
land, h^.zra  Bacon  who  was  horn  I'A'hrnary 
jT),  1768.  died  in  Reading.  Ohio.  March  ti. 
1826.  Avhile  his  Avife.  who  hore  the  maiden 
n.amc  of  Sarah  Kmmons.  was  horn  h'lnuary 
28,  1777.  in  Connecticut  and  died  in  h'air- 
field,  Ohio,  .\ugust  _'.  iXkj.  Their  children 
were:  Marx:  T.ucinda,  the  wife  of  Alex- 
ander Porter,  horn  Xoxemher  24.  t8oC),  and 
(lied  Alav  24.  i88<j:  Sarah,  who  Avas  liorn 
Fehruarx-  11.  i8o(j.  and  died  in  i8(j4,  and 
was  the  wife  of  Andrew  Wakefield:  [ohn 
Douglas,  who  A\edded  Mary  Green,  and 
whose  hirth  occurred  May  ij;.  1811.  while 
his  death  occtu'red  I'"ehruar\-  15,  1863; 
luhelhert.  who  was  horn  June  _M  .  1816.  and 
died  May  i(),  1852.  his  wife  heing  Jane 
Petefish  ;  and  Ezra  k'nimons.  who  was  horn 
July  25.  i8i(j,  and  died  August    1  1,   i83(). 

The  following  is  the  record  of  the  sons 
of  John  Adams  who  had  families.  Xelson 
Adams,  the  father  of  our  sul)ject.  has  lived 
in  Tiond  county  since  1852.  lie  was  m:n"- 
ried  Janu.ary  20,  t85(j,  to  Xanc\"  lUuicli,  a 
daughter  of  Lamhert  and  Louisa  (Smith) 
l)Unch,  who  was  horn  in  Bond  count}'  Sep- 
temher  8.  1839.  and  died  there  X^nvemher 
I  I.   i8f)().     lie  served  as  a  ])ri\ate  in  C"om- 


pan\-  1'",  (  )ne  llnn<hx";  ami  Tlnrtielii  niinois 
X'ojuntce]"  Infantry,  from  August  12.  1862, 
to  June  23,  1865.  lie  was  at  Memphis, 
Champion  llills,  Vickshurg.  Xew  Orleans 
and  at  other  jjlaces  with  hi^  regiment  and  at 
Mansfield,  during  the  Kvi]  Ivivcr  expedition, 
w  as  taken  prisoner  and  thus  held  during  the 
continuance  of  the  war.  at  Tyler.  Texas. 
His  hrothers.  Lemuel  and  John,  likewise  did 
good  serxice  for  the  goxernment.  X^elson 
Adams  was  married  August  17,  1865,  to 
Rehecca  Ann  (ireen,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Jane  (Booth)  (ireen.  She  was  l)orn 
in  Mills  townshi]).  Px'ud  county,  Septemlier 
14,  1842.  and  their  children  are:  Charles 
Emerson,  who  was  horn  Ma_\'  2~,  T8f)r),  and 
died  January  7.  1881  :  Alfred,  who  was  l)orn 
August  31,  1868:  TMlward  E..  who  \\as  born 
December  3r,  1870;  Alary  01i\e,  horn  De- 
cember 20,  1872;  Ellen  Jane,  horn  August 
4,  1875.  '^"^^  married  Idysses  Coigny;  Cora 
Mav,  who  was  born  April  3,  1878,  and  mar- 
ried John  H.  Smith  :  and  James  Francis,  w  ho 
was  born  October  29,  1880.  All  were  horn 
in  Mills  township  in  Bond  county. 

Lemuel  Adams  was  married  on  the  30th 
of  April,  1862,  to  Julia  Ellen  Birge.  who 
was  horn  in  Bond  count}'.  December  8.  i83<). 
and  died  January  26.  1874.  Her  father. 
Ansel,  with  his  brothers.  James  and  C}'rus. 
remoxed  from  ]^)ultne}',  X'ermont,  to  Bond 
comity.  lUin.ois.  about  1818.  Ansel  Birge 
was  born  in  1788  and  his  father  Daxid 
Ihrii'e  \\as  horn  at  Litchlield,  (.'onnecticut, 
December  11.  1752.  while  the  mother,  who 
lore  the  maiden  name  of  .Vbigail  Howland, 
was  born  at  Ibrnstable.  Massachusetts,  De- 
cember 3(^,  1754.  After  arriving  at  years 
of  maturitx'  Ansel  Ihrge  wedded  Millicent 
Tw  iss.  a  daughter  of  Eben  and  Amy  (Clay) 
Twiss.  She  was  born  in  \\  eston,  \  ermont, 
December  16.  1808,  and  died  in  ( Ireenville. 
Illinois,  Julv    12,    1896.      Tnto   Lenruel   and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


401 


Julia  l^llen  Adams  were  l)()i"n  three  chil- 
dren :    Emma,  Edgar  and  Cora  Alice. 

Lemuel  Adams  was  again  married  May 
4.  T882,  his  second  union  heing"  ^Yith  Miss 
Ainia  Morris,  of  Milton.  Indiana,  who  was 
born  March  16,  1844,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Martha  (Chappell)  Morris.  Her 
grandfather  was  Joshua  Morris.  Avhose  wife 
was  a  Morgan  and  the  great-grandfather 
was  Nathan  Morris,  whose  wife  was  a  Bell. 
-The  parents  of  Martha  Morris  were  Gideon 
and  Mary  (S(|uires)  Chappell.  the  former 
of  French  and  the  latter  of  Scotch  descent. 
Airs.  Adams'  people  were  Friends  or  Quak- 
ers. By  her  marriage  she  had  but  one  child, 
Martha  Ellen,  born  May  9.  1885. 

William  Adams  was  married  June  16. 
1859.  to  Amanda  Kershner.  who  was  bcirn 
at  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  December  24. 
1838.  and  died  in  Bates  county.  Missouri. 
November  2,  1884.  Her  ])arents  were  Jona- 
than and  Catherine  (McAhan)  Kershner 
and  her  father  was  a  son  of  Isaac  Kershner, 
another  early  settler  of  Bond  county.  Illi- 
nois. L^nto  William  and  Amanda  Adams 
were  born  the  following  named:  Mary 
Alice,  the  wife  of  James  Reed  of  Cherr}-- 
\ale.  Kansas:  and  Ellen  and  William,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

^^^illiam.  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Hix) 
Green,  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Illinois. 
August  2.  1814.  and  died  in  Bond  county. 
June  12,  1845.  I^^  '^'^'^^  the  youngest  of 
fourteen  children.  His  brothers  and  sisters 
were :  Mrs.  Nancy  Laxton ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Weldon:  Airs.  Ksther  Alatthews:  Mrs.  Polly 
l\ea\is;  Airs.  Matilda  Green:  Mrs.  Sally 
Clar}- ;  Ealb\,  who  tirst  married  \\illiam 
Mains,  later  married  William  Drake,  and 
still  later  James  Henry  Harris:  Jar\is ; 
Royal:  Andrew,  who  n.iarried  Elizabeth  Pot- 
ter: George,  who  married   Martha  Brown; 


and  James,  who  married  Sarah  Williams. 
The  first  three  brcjthcrs  were  ne\er  married. 
The  Greens  were  originalK-  from  North 
Carolina,  thence  removing  to  Tennessee  and 
afterward  to  Illinois.  James  Green,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  suliject.  emigrated 
from  Knox  county,  Tennessee,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  181 1,  settling  near  Edwards\-ille.  Illi- 
nois, whence  he  removed  to  Bond  count}'  in 
181 5.  This  was  during  the  ]ierio(l  of  the 
war  with  Great  Britain  and  Indian  troul)les 
were  frecjuent.  The  county  records  show 
that  letters  of  administration  were  granted 
to  his  widow  June  15,  1821.  which  is  as 
near  as  the  date  of  his  death  can  be  deter- 
mined. His  wife  died  January  i.  1846,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  brothers 
and  sisters  and  their  descendants  were  in  Illi- 
nois at  a  very  early  day,  many  of  them  being 
rangers  of  the  war  of  18 12  and  in  the  cam- 
paigns against  the  Indians.  Jar\is  Green 
was  killed  by  the  Indians  at  the  battle  of 
Blue  Licks,  Kentucky,  in  1782.  He  was 
the  grandfather  of  the  late  A\'illiam  G. 
Greene  of  Menard  ccumty,  the  early  friend 
and  companion  of  Lincoln.  George  Green, 
another  l)rother.  settled  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  and  afterward  went  to  Menard 
countv,  where  he  died.  He  married  Luc\' 
lones  and  their  children  were:  J')hn.  Will- 
iam, Potter,  Aaron,  Elias,  Keziah,  Hannah, 
Polly,  Susan  and  Nancy.  Esther  Green,  a 
sister,  married  a  Henson :  Mary  married 
Thomas  Ratton :  and  another  sister  married 
Absalom  Matthews :  and  Nancy  married 
Robert  Armstrong.  wIk^  is  known  as 
"Robin."  Her  children  were:  Jesse; 
Rhoda:  Royal:  Hugh:  Elizabeth:  John  or 
"lack."  with  whom  Lincoln  had  the  famous 
wrestle:  Nancy  and  Eliza.  Ro\al  Potter, 
an  earlv  settler  of  Bond  and  Menard  coun- 
ties, was  a  half  brother  of  James,  George 
and    larvis  Green.     His  wife  was  Rebecca 


402 


I'AST  AM)   I'KliSliNT 


Rca\'is  and  In  tlicni  were  horn  Xancy  ;  l'',(I- 
ward ;  l^lizabcth.  \\li<>  married  Andrew 
( irccn  :  jolin;  Delilah:  and  Koyal.  liy  lii^ 
second  wife,  the  widow  I'oli}'  COx,  he  liad 
one  son.  Solomon. 

There  were  horn  to  W  ilham  and  jane 
(Ireen.  the  mother  ot'  onr  suhject  and  a  sis- 
ter, Sarah  hllizaheth.  the  latter  horn  ( )otoher 
25,  1S44.  The  latter  was  married  in  La- 
clede. Mis.sonri.  October  iS.  iS()().  to  Solo- 
mon V.  ("lilmere,  who  died  in  .Mead\ille, 
Missouri,  .Xpril  10,  i«^<^3.  lier  children 
were:  Lilly  May:  ICdward  lA\in_y:  Dorothy 
Dekov,  deceased;  A'ernia.  the  wife  of  Fred 
Littrell :  \^irgil :  and  Clarence.  Jane  Green 
for  her  second  husband  married  Harvey  E. 
.Stout,  a  son  of  Colonel  Thomas  Stout,  June 
I  I,  1848.  He  was  born  January  12,  1820. 
and  died  .\pril  9,  1865.  Their  children  were  : 
Jam^s  E..  of  Brazilton.  Kansas;  Mary  Ellen, 
who  married  John  Scott  and  is  now  de- 
ceased, leaving-  a  son  Walter:  FJiza  ]..  who 
married  Thomas  L.  Clark:  HarloAv  A.,  who 
died  in  infancy:  and  John  Af.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-se\  en. 

Tracing  the  ancestry  in  the  line  of  the 
maternal  grandmother,  h^.dward  Ewing 
.\dams  is  of  Irish  descent.  James  Booth, 
the  great-grandfather,  was  horn  in  County 
Tyrone  near  Omag-h.  March  17,  ijt^o.  His 
wife.  Rel)tcca  .\,ger,  was  a  <k.ughter  of 
James  and  Jane  (  bAving)  \ger.  Mr.  Booth 
and  his  wife  and  all  of  the  .\ger  f.amilw 
with  the  e.xception  of  William  who  had 
come  in  181  i,  sailed  for  .\merica  in  the  shi]) 
Lord  Nelson  in  1817.  There  were  nineteen 
in  the  party  and  they  were  wrecked  otY  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia  near  Sable  ri\cr  and 
lost  everything.  On  the  same  shi])  was  an 
elder  half-brother  ot  James  Booth,  named 
William  White,  who  died  near  Wdiite  Sul- 
phur   .S])rings.    West    Virginia.      Professor 


and  Lee  Lni\ersit\-  ;ind  antlioi-  dl  tlie  work 
entitled  "Kohert  I'"..  Lee  ami  tlte  .*>(  inthei"ii 
Con  federacw"  is  hi^  'grandson.  James 
l)oolh  also  had  three  sisters  who  came  to 
America  after  his  arrixal.  .Sarah  and  .Mary 
never  married  and  Jane  became  the  wife  of 
a  .Mr.  Jackson  and  removed  from  Virginia 
to  Muskingum  count \',  ( )hio. 

James  Booth  lix'ed  in  hranklin  county, 
I'ennsN'K'ania,  from  1S17  until  the  spring  of 
1823,  and  afterward  in  Loudoun  county. 
Virginia,  near  Leesburg,  from  1823  until 
the  fall  of  1829,  when  he  remo\'ed  to  tlic 
\icinit\'  of  White  Sulphur  Springs  and  in 
1839,  accompanied  by  his  famil)-.  made  the 
tri])  in  a  wagon  to  Bond  county,  Illinois, 
wdiere  he  li\'ed  initil  his  death,  on  the  T8th 
of  January,  1872.  His  wife  died  at  Poca- 
hontas, Illinois,  December  7,  1858,  at  the 
age  of  sixtv-eight  years.  Their  children 
were  as  follows:  Alexander,  born  on  board 
the  Lord  Nelson,  August  15.  1817,  died  in 
Laltimore  in  1839;  Jane,  born  in  b'ranklin 
county,  PennsN'hania.  January  2O.  1819. 
died  in  Kansas  City.  ?\rissouri.  Afay  18. 
1883:  Robert  Colwell.  born  in  I'^ranklin 
County,  Pennsylvania.  December  5.  1821. 
married  Hannah  Isaacs,  and  died  in  Dallas 
county.  Missouri,  ]\rarch  20.  1873;  Sarah, 
born  near  Leesburg.  \'irginia.  September  17. 
1823.  married  Captain  Samuel  d.  INIcAdams 
and  li\es  at  (ireenxille.  Illinois:  Rebecca 
Ann.  born  near  Leesburg".  b'ebruar}'  2^. 
182^).  was  married  to  Ro\'al  (Ireen.  and  died 
in  Loud  County,  June  1  1.  1884:  ls;tac  Eaton, 
born  near  Leesburg.  .\ugust  2J.  1828,  died 
when  eight  months  old:  Mary  Elizabeth. 
l;orn  near  Wdnte  .Snlphur  .Springs.  June  13. 
1831,  was  married  to  .\ndrew  McAdams 
and  later  to  ( ieorge  .*^.  Mills,  and  died  near 
l\eves])ort,  Illinois,  July  3,  1883.  The 
other  children  of   bames  and   lane  (Ewing) 


Henrv    Alexander    White,    of    Washinoton      Auerwere:    Willian:.  Thomas,  llenrv.  Rob- 


i 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


403 


ert,  Alexander,  Mrs.  Mary  Forbes  and  Mrs 
Ann  Anthony,  mother  of  James  Anthony, 
a  well   knoAvn    editor   of   the    Pacific   coast 
and  founder  of  the  Sacramento  Unioiii 

Alfred  and  Edward  E.  Adams  passed 
their  early  manhood  on  their  father's  farm 
and  received  their  education  in  the  common 
scIkioIs.  Following"  the  example  of  many 
otiier  young-  men  they  taught  in  various  dis- 
tricts until  they  had  prepared  themselves  for 
a(huission  to  the  bar.  Alfred  was  elected 
clerk  of  Bond  county  in  1890  and  served 
one  term,  giving  excellent  satisfaction.  He 
continued  to  pursue  his  legal  studies  and 
was  admitted  to  the  l>ar  in  1893.  "^''^^  same 
year  he  married  Irene,  daughter  of  James 
and  Irene  (James)  Ferryman  and  a  native 
of  Sullivan,  Illinois.  Her  grandfather,  John 
Ferryman,  who  married  Ann  Davidson,  was 
at  one  time  clerk  of  Moultrie  county.  Mr. 
Adams  practiced  the  profession  of  law  at 
Greenville  with  C.  E.  Cook  until  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  office,  after  which 
he  removed  to  Taylorville,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  has  served  the  people  of 
the  city  for  four  )'ears  as  police  magistrate. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  he  has 
always  been  found  true  to  the  party  which 
represents  his  ]jrinciples.  His  family  con- 
sists of  four  children :  Lucile,  Geraldine, 
Malcolm  and  Dorothea.  Alfred  Adams  is  a 
member  of  several  societies  and  is  prominent 
in  the  councils  of  the  Modern  Woodmen, 
having  twice  attended  the  head  camp  in  an 
official  capacity.  He  has  also  served  on 
standing  committees. 

Edward  E.  Adams  enjoyed  a  good  rep- 
utaticMi  as  a  teacher  before  he  was  admitted 
to  the  l)ar  in  October,  1899.  At  an  early  age 
his  studious  habits  were  remarked  by  his 
associates  and  he  has  by  his  unaided  efforts 
so  risen  in  self-improvement  that  for  many 
years  he  has  enjoyed  the  respect  of  all  who 


know  him.  .\s  a  teacher  he  was  not  content 
with  such  a  smattering  as  would  enable  him 
to  get  a  position  but  he  continued  his  studies 
until  he  was  awarded  a  life  certificate  in 
recognition  of  his  success  and  qualifications. 
Since  his  admission  to  the  bar  h^  has  been 
associated  with  his  brother  in  the  practice 
of  law.  His  work  has  been  more  of  the 
office  kind.  His  unobtrusive  manners  and 
knowledge  of  the  law  have  gained  for  him 
many  friends  among  those  with  whom  his 
work  has  brought  him  in  contact.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pvthias  and  sev- 
eral other  fraternities.  In  politics  he  is  an 
ardent  Republican  but  he  numbers  his 
friends  among  all  parties.     He  is  unmarried. 


GEORGE  W.  MILLIGAN,  M.  D. 

Dr.  George  W.  Milligan,  who  as  a  medi- 
cal practitioner  ni  Edinburg  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  support  of  the  public  by 
reason  of  his  thorough  training  for  his  pro- 
fession and  his  fidelity  to  the  ethics  of  the 
medical  fraternity,  was  born  in  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  i6th  of  December, 
1853.  His  father,'  Samuel  Milligan,  was  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  and  when  a  yotmg 
man  went  to  Missouri,  but  soon  afterward 
came  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his  abode  iii 
Fayette  county.  He  married  Miss  Phoebe 
Cearlock,  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Fayette  county.  They  had  nine 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living: 
William  H.,  Jacob  L.,  George  W.,  James 
A.,  John  J.,  Thomas  F.,  S.  A.  Douglas, 
Annie  J.  and  Nancy  M.  The  father,  who 
was  born  in  1830,  is  still  living,  but  the 
mother  passed  away  in  1869. 

Dr.  Milligan  recei\'ed  his  education  at 
Town  Hall  in  Shelby  county  and  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years  went  to  live  with  Dr.  George 
^^^  h^ringer,  of  that  place,     \\nii1e  there  re- 


404 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


sidins/  lie  l)ccanie  interested  in  medicine  and 
began  stndying  ])rep?.rattir)-  to  enterinii;  tlie 
])rofessi()n.  In  1S73  lie  secured  enii)l(i\nient 
in  a  drui;'  store  in  Ivlinbnri;-  as  clerk  and  in 
December  of  tbat  year  be  went  intn  business 
for  bimself,  continuing  in  tbat  line  until  tbe 
summer  of  1880.  At  tbe  ojiening-  of  tbe 
scbool  year  in  tbe  succeeding  autumn  be 
entej-ed  tbe  St.  Louis  Medical  College  and 
tbe  following  year  be  became  a  student  in 
tbe  College  of  IMiysicians  &  Surgeons  at 
Keokuk,  b)wa.  In  tbe  spring  of  1882  be 
was  graduated  and  opened  an  office  at  Bing- 
bam.  Illinois,  wbere  be  ])racticed  for  tbree 
years.  On  tbe  expiration  of  tbat  period  be 
returned  to  Edinburg  in  tbe  spring  of  1885 
and  opened  bis  office  in  tins  place.  Here  be 
bas  since  remained  and  as  the  years  baye 
gone  by  bis  patronage  bas  steadily  increased. 
In  i8(;4  be  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr 
C.  A.  Stokes  of  Sharpsburg  and  they  i)ur- 
chased  of  Mr.  Harrington  a  private  tele- 
phone line  to  Taylorville,  but  abandoned  tbe 
Taylorville  part  of  tbe  line.  They  ran  only 
tbe  Sharpsburg  connection.  Tbe  people, 
however,  demanded  telephonic  communica- 
tion with  tbe  outside  world  and  they  en- 
larged their  telephone  system  in  1902,  ob- 
taining a  franchise  from  the  town  so  tbat 
they  are  now  rapidly  perfecting  their  system 
which  w  ill  be  of  the  greatest  convenience  t(^ 
tbe  surrounding  district. 

On  tbe  T7tb  of  October,  1877,  Dr.  Milli- 
gan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza 
M.  b'irey,  a  daugbter  of  Henry  and  Minerva 
Eirey.  of  Christian  county.  They  have  three 
children:  Edwin  L.,  born  October  20,  1879; 
Clarence  W.,  lx)rn  Deceml>er  29,  1885;  and 
EuTalia  M.,'  l:)orn  May  4,  1890.  Dr.  JMilli- 
gan  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  [""ellows,  his  connection  being  with 
Edinlmrg  Lodge.  No.  631.  He  also  belongs 
to  tiie  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of  Edin- 


burg, tbe  Modern  Woodmen  and  the  Era- 
ternal  .\rm)-.  1  le  has  been  a  member  of  the 
town  board  and  was  a  meml)er  of  tbe  school 
Ima.rd  at  tbe  time  of  ibe  building  of  the  new 
schoolbouse.  In  ])()lilics  be  is  an  earnest  Re- 
])ul)licaii  and  is  a  citizen  whose  worth  is 
widely  acknowledged  not  only  on  account 
of  tbe  good  he  bas  done  in  ])rofessional 
lines,  but  also  because  of  the  acti\'e  co-opera- 
tion which  be  bas  given  to  public  affairs. 
He  keeps  well  informed  concerning  tbe  new 
ideas  advanced  b}'  tbe  medical  fraternity, 
keeps  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  char- 
acterizes tbe  profession  and  is  to-da}'  a  most 
capable  and  skilled  physician,  bis  large  ])at- 
ronage  being  an  indication  of  tbe  confidence 
reposed  in  him  by  bis  fellow-townsmen. 


L.  E.  PEEK. 


L.  E.  Peek,  a  practical  and  enterprising 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  May  township, 
owns  and  operates  three  hundred  acres  of 
land  on  section  20,  constituting  one  of  tbe 
N'aluable  and  highly  improved  farms  of  tbe 
locality.  His  possessions  have  been  accpiired 
mainly  through  his  own  efforts  and  as  tbe 
result  of  bis  consecuti\'e  endeavor  he  has 
won  a  place  among  tbe  substantial  citizens 
of  his  native  county. 

Mr.  Peek  was  born  mi  .South  Eirk  town- 
shi]),  Januar}-  21,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  P). 
and  Marian  E.  (Ery)  Peek.  His  father, 
who  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  came  t(^ 
Christian  county,  Illinois,  in  1837,  and  was 
identified  with  its  early  development  and  im- 
pro\-ement.  h'^or  a  time  he  leased  and  oper- 
ated tbe  land  on  which  the  village  of  Edin- 
burg now  stands.  He  died  at  that  place  in 
1894  and  bis  wife  in  1897,  honored  and  re-  ■■ 
spected  b}-  all  who  knew  them. 

In  the  district  schools  near  his  boyhood 
boine  L.   V.   I^eek  received  his  early  educa- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


405 


tinn  and  later  attended  school  at  Taylor- 
ville.  Havip-g"  completed  his  education,  he 
commenced  teaching  school  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years  and  successfully  followed  that 
pursuit  during  the  winter  months  for  three 
years,  while  during  the  summer  season  he 
devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  farming. 
His  first  purchase  of  land  consisted  of  forty 
acres,  which  he  subsequently  sold  and  then 
bought  one  hundred  acres  of  his  present 
farm  in  May  township.  As  time  has  passed 
he  has  added  to  his  property  until  he  now 
has  three  hundred  acres,  which  has  been  ac- 
quired through  his  own  well  directed  efforts 
and  careful  management.  In  connection 
with  general  farming  he  is  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  Poland  China  hogs  and  also  feeds 
many  head  of  cattle  for  market  each  year. 

■  Mr.  Peek  was  married  in  1877  to  Miss 
Josie  E.  Coffman,  a  daughter  of  James  D. 
and  Margaret  (Settle)  Coffman  and  sister 
of  William  D.  Coffman,  whose  sketch  ap- 
pears on  another  page  of  this  volume.  She 
died  in  1898,  leaving  five  children,  namely: 
Elbridge,  who  is  now  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois ;  Jessie  and  Allen,  both  of  whom  live  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio;  Nena,  who  is  now  keying 
house  for  her  father;  and  Leona,  six  years 
of  age.  Mr.  Peek  is  a  memloer  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  is  independent 
in  politics.  His  life  has  been  one  of  industry 
and  usefulness  and  he  has  so  lived  as  to  gain 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  l)rought  in  contact. 


SAMUEL  N.  HAVERFIELD. 

Samuel  N.  Haverfield,  who  is  now  s(^  effi- 
ciently serving  as  city  clerk  of  Assumption, 
has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Illinois,  his  birth 
occurriu"-  in  Mercer  countv,  this  state,  on 
the  5th  of  January.  1855.  His  father,  Will- 
iam   S.    Haverfield.    was   born    in    Harrison 


county,  Ohio,  February  12,  18 12,  and  was 
a  son  of  a  pioneer  of  that  county,  the  family 
being  one  of  the  first  to  locate  near  Cadiz. 
The  grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812  and  died  at  cjuite  an  advanced  age  in 
Harrison  county.  In  early  manhood  Will- 
iam S.  Haverfield  nnarried  Miss  Ruhama 
Nash,  who  w'as  born  in  1824  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Nash.  Her  father,  who 
followed  school  teaching  in  Ohio,  died  St  the 
comparatively  early  age  of  thirty-two  years, 
but  her  mother' was  ninety  at  the  time  of  her 
death.  Coming  to  Illinois  in  1854,  William 
S.  Haverfield  located  in  Mercer  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  sheep 
raising  until  1859.  and  then  removed  to 
Randolph  county,  this  state.  There  he  fol- 
lowed contracting  and  building,  being  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  but  after  his  removal  to 
Christian  county  in  the  fall  of  1863,,  he 
again  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  oper- 
ating land  west  of  Assumption.  He  subse- 
(juently  followed  the  same  pursuit  in  Shelby 
county,  Illinois,  and  from  there  removed  to 
Macon  county  in  1874.  Five  years  later  he 
went  to  Kansas  and  was  engaged  in  farming 
in  Rush  county,  that  state,  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  4th  of  March,  1888. 
His  widow  continued  to  reside  upon  the 
fann  there  until  she,  too,  passed  away  in 
February,  1892.  'Jlns  worthy  couple  were 
the  parents  of  twel\-e  children,  eight  sons 
and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  reached 
years  of  maturity. 

Samuel  N.  Haverfield,  who  is  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  this  state,  afterward  attending 
the  Normal  l'ni\ersit}'  for  one  term.  Flis 
first  step  after  leaxing  school  was  as  a  clerk 
in  a  store  at  Moweaqua  for  a  short  time,  and 
after  that  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  with 
good  success  from    1877  until  the  spring  of 


406 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


1900.  Dnrini"-  this  entire  time  be  tauobt 
in  Christian  county  with  the  exception  of 
one  winter  term  in  Shelby  cotinty.  llhnois. 
In  the  meantime  he  also  served  as  township 
and  cit\-  clerk  of  Assunii)ti()n  and  for  the 
past  seven  vears  has  dcNoted  considerable 
attention  to  the  tire  insurance  business,  rep- 
resenting the  Home  Insurance  Company  of 
New  York  and  other  reliable  companies. 

On  the  tjth  of  September.  1875,  Mr. 
Haveriield  was  married  in  Moweaqua  to 
Miss  Nellie  Snell,  a  native  of  Shelby  county 
and  a  daughter  of  W.  H.  and  Jane 
(W'asham)  Snell.  ^vhose  home  was  near 
AIowea(|ua.  Of  the  nine  children  born  of 
this  union  three  died  in  infancy.  Of  those 
living  Olive  is  the  eldest.  She  is  now  the 
wife  of  William  Truitt.  a  resident  of  Bloom- 
insfton.  Illinois,  and  the\-  have  two  children. 
Carl  and  Muriel.  Ira.  who  is  acting  as  clerk 
for  a  grain  firm  at  Assumption,  married 
Laura  Ella  Carpenter,  of  this  county.  Or- 
ville.  ?^Iaud,  Lyle  and  .M;ibel  are  at  home 
with  their  ])arents. 

I'oliticallv  Mr.  PTaverheld  is  a  Repul)lican 
and  on  his  i)artv  ticket  was  elected  city  and 
townshij)  clerk,  w  hich  offices  he  is  still  filling 
in  a  capable  and  satisfactory  manner.  So- 
cially he  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  ha\ing  serxed  as  clerk  of  the 
blue  lodge  for  four  years,  and  he  has  als(T 
been  clerk  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
P^ellow'S  since  joining  that  fraternity.  lie 
also  filled  the  office  of  noble  grand  in  the  lat- 
ter order.  He  also  belono-s  to  tlie  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  is  held  in  high  regard  not 
only  by  his  fraternal  brethren  but  by  all  who 
know  him. 


DR.  M.  L.  FUNDERP>Ld<K. 

Dr.  M.  L.  Funderburk,  a  well  known  vet- 
erinary surgeon  residing  on  section  20,  Mos- 
([uito    township,    is    a    native    of    Christian 


conntx'.  his  birth  haxmg  occurred  m  Mount 
Auburn  townshii).  on  the  6th  of  October, 
]86i.  His  parents  are  S.  W.  and  Angeline 
(Warren)  Inniderburk,  the  former  of  whom 
was  liorn  in  Illinois,  lanuarv  20,  18^4.  and 
the  latter  in  Kentucky.  January  23,  1831. 
About  1852  they  caiue  to  Christian  county 
and  took  up  their  resideiice  in  Stonington 
townshi]),  where  they  continued  to  make 
their  home  until  February,  igoo.  when  they 
removed  to  Blue  Mound.  Throughout  his 
active  business  life  the  father  engaged  in 
farming,  but  is  now  living  retired,  enjoying 
a  well  earned  rest  and  the  fruits  of  former 
toil. 

Dr.  Funderburk  is  indebted  to  the  district 
schools  of  this  count)-  for  the  educational 
privileges  he  enjovec'  during  his  }"outh  and 
on  the  home  farm  he  early  acquired  an  ex- 
cellent knowledge  ni  agricultural  ])ursuits. 
He  remainevl  with  liis  father  until  twenty- 
five  years  of  age  and  then  removed  to  one  of 
his  father's  farms.  x\hicl'i  he  operated  initil 
1890.  The  following  two  years  were  spent 
in  Mattoon,  Illinois,  wdiere  he  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  ^•eterinary  surgery  and 
also  handled  draft  and  road  stallions.  From 
there  he  removed  to  .Assumption,  where  he 
bought  and  sold  stock  for  six  months,  and 
then  went  to  Blue  Mound,  where  he  lived 
until  Septemlier,  1897.  ^''^''  *'*^''^  X^^^^'  there- 
after he  made  his  home  in  Lo\ington.  and 
on  the  20th  of  December.  1899,  returned 
to  the  old  home  f;irm.  where  he  remained 
until  1902.  During  that  Acar  he  removed 
to  his  present  farm  on  section  20,  Mos(juito 
townshii),  which  is  a  well  improN-ed  place  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  In  connec- 
tion with  his  farming  operations  he  contin- 
ues to  engage  in  the  practice  of  veterinary 
suro-erv,  also  buvs  and  sells  horses  and  does 
a  good  business  as  an  aucti<Mieer,  his  ser\-- 
ices  being  in  constant  demand.     He  is  a  man 


MRS.  S.  W.  FUNDERBURK 


S.  W.  FUNDERBURK 


DR.  M.  L.  FUNDERBURK 


MRS.  M.  L.  FUNDERBURK 


WARREN  R.  FUNDERBURK 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


409 


of  good  business  an.i  executive  ability  and 
has  won  a  creditable  success  in  his  under- 
takings. His  liome  is  on  a  rural  free  de- 
livery route  and  is  supplied  with  the  Odell 
telephone,  so  that  he  is  in  direct  communi- 
cation with  those  in  need  of  his  services 
along  any  line. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1887,  Dr.  Funder- 
burk  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Gandy,  a  daughter  of  F.  M.  Gaudy,  of  As- 
sumption, Illinois,  who  is  a  native  of  In- 
diana. Se\'en  children  ha\e  l)een  born  of 
this  union,  namely:  Ruby  A.;  Roscoe  C, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  two  months ;  Bonnie, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  one  month :  Samuel 
\\  .,  who  (lied  at  the  age  of  seven  months; 
Marion,  A\ho  died  at  the  age  of  three  weeks; 
Hesoid,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  month ; 
and  AA'arren  R.,  who  was  born  April  6. 
i()03.  The  wife  and  mother  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Christian  church  and  the 
doctor  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  Since  attaining  his  majority  he 
has  aililiated  Avith  the  Rej^ublican  party  and 
he  acceptalily  served  as  constable  of  Blue 
Moiuid  f(^r  four  years.  Through  his  busi- 
ness he  has  become  widely  known  and  he 
has  made  many  warm  friends  throughout 
Christian  countv. 


JAMES  L.  DRENNAN. 

James  L.  Drennan,-  formerly  a  member  (}f 
the  law  firm  of  Hogan  &  Drennan,  of  Tay- 
lorville.  has  gained  his  present  enviable  po- 
sition at  the  bar  through  strong  persistency 
of  purpose,  unfaltering  diligence  and  the 
.careful  direction  of  his  efforts  by  sound, 
practical  judgment.  In  the  trial  of  ci\il 
cases  he  has  shown  marked  strength  as  a 
lawyer  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence. 

Mr.  Drennan  is  a  native  son  of  Christian 


count}',  his  birth  ha\ing  occurred  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  Mosquito  township,  Febru- 
ary 25,  1869.  His  parents  were  John  L. 
and  Henrietta  (Wimberley)  Drennan.  Eli 
Drennan,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  a 
resident  of  South  Carolina  and  his  father, 
John  Drennan,  serxed  his  country  in  the 
patriot  army  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  In 
1802  John  Drennan  removed  to  Caldwell 
county,  Kentucky,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
Princeton,  that  state.  Eli  Drennan  died  in 
1875,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The 
family  was  early  established  in  Illinois.  It 
is  said  that  William  and  Joseph  Drennan, 
two  uncles  of  Eli  Drennan,  settled  in  San- 
gamon county  among  its  earliest  pioneers 
and  that  they  planted  the  first  corn  ever 
raised  in  that  county.  In  1820  Eli  Drennan 
made  his  way  to  this  state,  was  for  two 
years  a  resident  of  Sangamon  county,  and 
helped  to  build  the  first  house  in  Springfield. 
He  was  not  favorably  impressed  with  the 
county,  however,  because  of  the  wild  condi- 
tion that  prevailed  at  that  time,  and  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Kentucky.  In  the  family 
Avere  eight  children,  of  whom  the  following" 
are  vet  living:  Eli  W.,  a  resident  of  Tav- 
lorville;  Eliza,  the  wife  of  ^^^illiam  Scott, 
of  Missouri ;  and  Ann,  the  wife  of  John 
Newberry,  of  Christian  county,  Illinois. 

John  L.  Drennan,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  reared  upon  the  rild  faniily  home- 
stead in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  there 
remained  until  1856,  when  he  came  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  locating"  near  Mount  Au- 
burn, Christian  county.  He  there  engaged 
in  farming  for  several  years  and  in  1864  re- 
moved to  what  became  the  homestead  farm 
in  Mosquito  township,  locating-  on  section 
22.  He  devoted  his  remaining  days  to  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  ami  in  1882  he  passed 
a\Aay  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  In  i^ol- 
itics  he  A\'as  a  Democrat  and  he  cast  his  first 


ilO 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


presidential  vote  for  Lewis  Cass  in  1848. 
He  never  failed  to  support  each  presidential 
candidate  of  the  party  from  that  time,  save 
in  18^6.  when  because  of  his  remowd  he 
could  not  ^•ote.  In  iS()()-j  he  served  as  as- 
sessor and  in  1868  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  l)nard  of  count v  super\"isors.  serxing"  for 
foiu"  consecutive  years  by  re-election  rmd  he 
was  filling"  the  position  ;it  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  the  candidate  for  county 
treasurer  in  1872.  He  was  most  loyal  and 
faithful  in  the  (lischarg:e  of  his  official  duties 
and  because  of  his  fitnes.-<  was  many  times 
called  to  office.  As  a  school  trustee  he  did 
much  to  promote  the  educational  interests 
of  the  community  and  was  commissioner  of 
hig-hways.  His  achice  was  often  sought  on 
matters  of  business  and  cheerfully  g-i\en  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who  sought  his  counsel. 
His  farm  was  one  of  the  first  developed  in 
Mosquito  township  and  there  he  carried  on 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  for  many  years. 
He  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  roadsters 
and  owned  a  number  of  valuable  animals. 
PTis  first  home  was  a  log  cal)in  and  in  that 
he  lived  until  1873.  His  social  relati(^ns 
connected  him  with  Blount  Auburn  Lodge. 
A.  V.  &  .\.  M.  He  married  Henrietta  Wlm- 
berley.  who  was  a  native  of  Trigg  county, 
Kentucky,  and  ^^•as  one  of  a  family  of  twelve 
children.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the 
mother  of  fourteen  children:  A.  Ah,  who 
is  living  in  Los  Angeles,  California;  Frank 
P.,  of  Taylorville;  John  G.,  of  Chicago; 
Adelia  J.,  the  wife  of  John  V.  Cole,  of  Tay- 
lorville; Laura  A.  E.,  the  wife  of  James  P. 
George,  of  Princeton,  Kentucky;  Margaret 
E.  the  wife  of  C.  C.  Clements,  of  Decatur, 
Illinois;  Henry  E..  who  died  May  21,  1902; 
Cieorge  R.,  who  is  living  in  Buckhart  town- 
ship; Henrietta  :\.;  Cora  A.,  the  wife  of 
Milo  A.  Scott,  who  is  living  on  the  home- 
stead fann  in  Mosquito  township;  James  L. ; 


Thomas  M..  who  makes  his  home  in  Los 
.\ngeles.  California;  Oscar  W.,  ^vho  died 
January  lo,  1892,  at  tlie  age  of  twenty-one 
years;  and  Carlotte  O.,  wife  of  h'rancis  AL 
Snifi'.  of  Los  Angeles.  The  father  died  in 
1882,  and  in  1888  the  mother  left  the  farm 
and  renioxcd  to  Ta_\lor\illc.  where  she  re- 
mained until  1899,  when  she  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  she 
is  now  li\ing  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. . 
She  was  a  typical  mother,  ideal  in  her  rela- 
tions with  her  famil}-.  Her  interests  cen- 
tered in  her  home  and  her  kind  and  loving 
disposition  ])rompted  her  devotion  to  her 
children  and  won  from  them  filial  gratitude 
and  devotion.  She  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church. 

James  L.  Drennan  received  only  the  edu- 
cational pri\ileges  afforded  by  the  country 
school  and  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  owing 
his  success  to  his  own  untiring  efforts,  laud- 
able ambition  and  diligence.  L'pon  his 
father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  home 
farm,  being  then  thirteen  years  of  age.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  teaching  school, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  three 
years.  In  1891,  with  a  desire  to  become  a 
member  of  the  legal  profession,  he  took  uj) 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  John  (i. 
Drennan  and  John  E.  Hogan,  of  Taylor- 
\-ille,  and  in  1893  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
making  the  best  grade  in  a  large  class,  a  fact 
which  indicates  how  assiduously  he  had  tip- 
plied  himself  to  the  mastery  of  the  princi- 
ples of  jurisprudence.  In  i8()4  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  a  ])artnership  in  the  firm  with 
which  he  had  studied,  under  the  firm  style 
of  Drennan,  Hogan  &  Drennan,  but  the  fol- 
lowing year  his  brother  withdrew  .and  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Ignited  States 
Senator  Palmer,  removing  then  to  Spring- 
field. Idle  partnershi])  of  Mr.  Hogan  and 
our  subject  was  maintained  until  Tanuar\'  1, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


411 


1904.  Mr.  Drennan  served  as  chief  deputy 
clerk  ill  the  circuit  court  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  was  appointed  master  in 
chancery  and  by  re-appointment  served  in 
that  position  for  three  consecutive  terms. 
He  is  now  private  secretary  to  Judge  Ricks, 
a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  having  been 
appointed  to  that  position  in  February,  1903. 
Ahhough  a  young  man  he  has  attained  an 
enviable  pkice  as  a  representative  of  the  leg'al 
profession  in  Christian  county,  and  has  been 
entrusted  with  much  important  htigation. 
He  is  now  the  president  of  the  Taylorville 
Buikhng  &  Loan  Association. 

In  1890  Mr.  Drennan  ^^■as  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  M.  Jones,  of  Mount 
Auliurn,  Ihinois,  who'  died  in  1895,  leaving 
a  daughter,  Margaret  O.  For  liis  second 
wife  he  chose  Miss  Grace  Clawson,  of  Tay- 
lorville, and  their  children  are  Ruth,  John 
L.  and  Wayne  C.  Mr.  Drennan  is  popular 
in  fraternal  circles.  He  was  made  a  Mason 
in  1895  'i^'^d  is  a  member  of  Mound  Lodge. 
No.  64,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  while  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Camp  and  the  Red  Men  he  also 
holds  membership  relations.  His  political 
views  are  in  accord  with  the  principles  of  the 
Democracy  and  he  has  labored  earnestly  to 
jiromote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success 
(if  iiis  party.  He  has  served  as  alderman  in 
Taylorville  and  in  1902  was  nominated  for 
county  judge,  on  which  occasion  he  was  de- 
feated by  a  majority  of  only  thirty-six — a 
vote  which  indicated  his  personal  popularity 
and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the 
public. 


O.  F.  GAUER. 


O.  F.  Gauer  is  a  leading  representative  of 
the  business  interests  of  Morrisonville. 
where  he  is  now   carrying  on   a   furniture 


store  and  undertaking  estalilishment.  Of 
excellent  business  ability  and  broad  re- 
sources, he  has  attained  a  prominent  place 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  this  part 
of  the  county  and  is  recognized  as  a  leader 
in'  public  affairs.  He  has  won  success  by 
well  directed,  energetic  effort  and  the  pros- 
perity that  has  come  to  him  is  certainly  well 
deserved. 

Mr.  Gauer  was  born  at  Staunton,  Illinois, 
November  20,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  John  L. 
and  Hannah  (Ahlers)  Gauer.  The  father, 
who  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  was  1>orn 
in  1827,  and  died  March  22,  1880,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-three  years.  The  mother  died 
on  the  1 2th  of  February,  1874.  She  was  a 
native  of  Bunker  Hill,  Illinois,  and  was  of 
German  descent. 

Left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  Mr.  Gauer 
has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources 
from  boyhood  and  has  made  his  own  fortune 
and  character.  For  a  time  he  was  employed 
in  a  furniture  store  in  St.  Louis  and  also 
worked  in  a  carriage  and  wagon  shop,  serv- 
ing a  two  years'  apprenticeship  to  that  trade. 
In  1889  he  came  to  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  the  following  year  established  a 
furniture  store  in  Morrisonville,  where  he 
still  carries  on  business  with  marked  suc- 
cess. He  occupies  over  five  thousand  feet  of 
floor  space  and  still  has  not  room  enough  for 
his  ever  increasing^  stock.  Mr.  Gauer  is  also 
interested  in  the  undertaking  business  and 
is  a  skilled  embalmer,  being  a  graduate  of 
the  J.  H.  Clark  College.  He  has  also  taken 
post-graduate  courses  at  several  different 
.schools  of  embalming,  studying  under  W. 
P.  Hoeshue,  of  St.  Louis,  and  Professor  C. 
L.  Barnes,  of  Chicago,  and  holds  a  certifi- 
cate of  examination  from  the  state  board. 
Besides  his  store  at  Morrisonville  he  has 
branch  houses  at  Palmer  and  Harvel,  Illi- 
nois. 


412 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


'My.  Gauer  was  married  in  1890  to  Miss 
Katie  A.  Ochsner.  l)y  whom  he  has  five  chil- 
(h-en.  namely:  Joseph.  John.  Otto,  l.ucile 
and  ITelen.  ^Nlrs.  (ianer  is  a  dani^hter  of 
Joseph  Ochsner,  wlio  was  l)(>rn  on  llie  River 
Rhine  in  (iernian\-  and  came  to  America  in 
early  youth.  In  Imsiness  affairs  he  has  met 
with  excellent  success  and  is  lo-day  a  laro-e 
land  owner,  lie  makes  his  home  in  Morri- 
sonville  and  is  now  engag-ed  in  huying  and 
shipping  ap])les  to  the  city  markets. 

Relio-iouslv  Mr.  Gauer  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  church.  He  be- 
lone-s  to  a  number  of  secret  societies,  includ- 
ing  the  Camp  of  Modern  A\'oo(lmen,  No. 
330.  of  Morrisonville,  of  which  he  has  been 
clerk  for  seven  years.  He  has  also  served 
as  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  American 
Guild;  is  a  charter  member  and  has  served 
as  recorder  and  manager  of  the  Royal 
Neighbors  since  its  organization  ;  is  recorder 
of  the  Court  of  Honor,  No.  105:  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  General  Thomas  Post.  Fra- 
ternal Army ;  and  belongs  to  the  subordinate 
lodge.  No.  no,  of  the  National  Anti-Horse 
Thief  Association,  and  also  to  the  Bankers' 
iM-aternal  Union.  He  is  also  a  prominent 
.member  of  the  Business  Men's  Association 
of  Morrisonville  and  takes  great  interest  in 
all  of  these  societies,  in  the  work  of  which 
he  is  thoroughly  i>osted.  The  Democratic 
])artv  finds  in  Mv.  (ianer  ;i  stanch  supporter 
of  its  principles.  He  is  ])nblic  si)irited  in  an 
eminent  degree  and  national  progress  and 
local  advancement  are  both  causes  dear  to 
his  heart.  Kindness,  amiability  and  cour- 
tesy not  only  characterize  his  social  relations 
but  are  a  marked  factor  in  his  business  life. 


W.  H.  ALEXANDER. 
W.    H.   Alexander,   proprietor   of  a   hrst 
class  meat  market  in  Pana,  was  born  in  this 
city  on  the  24th  of  November,  1858,  and  is 


a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  .Mexander.     His 
])arents  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  came  to 
I 'ana    in     1856.      The    jotn-ney    was    made 
aci'oss    the    conntr\-    in    a    wagon.    tra\-eling 
thus  after  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times. 
The   father  was  a  butcher  h)-  trade  and  es- 
tablished  the  lirst   shop   in   this   town.      He 
did  not  onI\'  a  successftil  and  growing  busi- 
ness, hut  was  also  acti\'e  in  ])ublic  affairs  in 
connection  with  all  matters  that  pertained  to 
the  general  welfare,  ])rogress  and  improve- 
ment.     T^e  \\as  a  member  of  the  first  city 
council,  at  which  time  Dr.  Pinley  was  mayor 
of  the  city.     Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander 
became  charter  meiuliers  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  being  associated  with  five  others  in 
the  establishment  of  the  congregation.     Mrs. 
.Mexander   is   now   the  only   sur\-i\-ing  one, 
and  from  the  earliest  history  of  the  cluuTh 
down  to  the  present  has  been  one  of  its  con- 
stant  and   acti\-e    followers.      Her   husband 
died  in  Pana  on  the  2y\  of  February,  i8(jO. 
res])ected  and  honored  by  all  \\ho  knew  him. 
A\'.  H.  Alexander  is  indebted  to  the  public 
school  swstem  of  his  native  city  for  the  edu- 
cational  prisileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  his 
^•outh.     He  entered  upon  his  business  career 
as  an  apprentice  in  the  empl<iy  of  R.  \[.  Carr 
in  1877.  thus  learning  the  ])rinter's  trade  on 
the   old    Pana    Gaccttc.      He   afterward   be- 
came an  acti\-e  factor  in    )ournalistic  circles 
as  manager  and  editor  of  a  ])aper  owned  by 
lacob     Swallow,     at     Towerhill,     remaining 
in    that    i)lace    dm-ing    the    year    t88i.      ITe 
afterward  worked  on  the  l\iUadiuui  in  Pana 
until    1883.     The  following  year  he  went  to 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  joined  the  base- 
ball team  known  as  the  Kansas  City  P)lues, 
of    the    Association    I'nion.      In     1885     he 
played  with  the  ball  team  of  St.  J'^seph.  Alis- 
soiu-i.  and  in  i88()  he  organized  the  Western 
League.     The  following  year,  iKwvever,  he 
returned  to  Pana  and  embarked  in  the  butch- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


413 


ciini;-  ImsiiK'ss,  wliicli  he  lias  since  fMllowcd, 
licx'i  lining'  ])r(»|)ricl(  ir  nf  an  excellent  meal 
n)ai"kel  liei-e.  In  1S95  lie  erected  the  build- 
iii!^'  which  he  now  (}ccu])ies  and  he  has  the 
hest  e([uii)i)ed  market  in  this  part  of  the 
county.  It  contains  a  cold  storage  room 
forty  feet  long-  and  twenty  feet  in  width  and 
capal^le  of  accommodating  fi\'e  hundred  tons 
of  ice.  His  husiness  has  grown  t(^  such  ex- 
tensi\e  ])rop()rti()ns  that  lie  employs  sex'en 
men  to  assist  him  in  its  conduct.  He  carries 
an  excellent  grade  of  meat  and  his  earnest 
desire  to  please  his  patrons  combined  with 
his  honoralde  Imsiness  methods  makes  him 
one  of  the  successful  merchants  of  Christian 
count}'.  He  was  also  at  one  time  a  director 
in  the  Building  &  Loan  Association  of  Pana. 
In  1883  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Alexander  and  Miss  Susie  AToore.  who 
AN-as  a  teacher  in  the  ijul'lic  schools  of  Pana. 
L^nto  them  liave  l^een  l^orn  five  children: 
Amy,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Pana  high 
school  with  the  class  of  1902:  Hal,  Grace, 
Belle  and  Susie,  all  of  whom  are  at  home. 
Mr.  Alexander  lielongs  to  the  Court  of 
Honor,  in  which  he  is  now  tilling  the  office 
of  recorder.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen,  the  Knights  of  Pytliias. 
the  Modern  Americans,  and  the  Improxed 
Order  of  Red  Men.  His  ])olitical  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he 
.strong]}'  endorses  its  ])rinciples.  l)elie\ing 
that  thev  contain  the  best  elements  of  o-ood 
government.  In  1883-4  he  ser\ed  as  collect- 
or of  Pana  and  he  has  twice  been  elected  to 
the  office  of  city  councilman,  filling  the  posi- 
tion at  the  ])resent  time.  He  is  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Business  Men's  Associati(Mi  of 
Pana.  an  organization  formed  to  jM-omote 
the  industrial  and  commercial  de\el()])ment 
of  the  city.  He  has  been  a  factor  in  advanc- 
ing e\ery  movement  for  the  general  good 
and  is  well  fitted  for  leadership  in  political 


x'iews  and  social  life  in  his  conimunitw  In 
w!iate\cr  relation  we  lind  him  he  is  always 
llic  same  honorable  and  lion(»red  gentleman, 
whose  wnnh  well  merits  the  high  regard 
which  is  uniformly  extended  him. 


HARRY  TRAVIS. 

Harry  lra\is,  who  is  now  successfully 
engaged  in  general  farming  on  section  12, 
Locust  town.ship,  was  born  in  Decatur,  Illi- 
nois, on  the  21st  of  June,  1859,  his  parents 
being  Presley  and  Jane  Travis,  the  former 
a  native  of  this  state  and  the  latter  of  Ten- 
nessee. In  1870  the  father  l^-ougbt  his  fam- 
ily to  Christian  county,  but  is  now  li\ino-  a 
retired  life  in  the  village  of  Niantic,  Macon 
county,  Illinois.     He  was  born  in  1827. 

AJuch  of  the  bo}'hoo(l  of  our  subject  was 
passed  in  the  city  of  his  birth  and  to  its 
iniblic  schools  he  is  indebted  for  the  educa- 
tion which  he  enjoyed.  At  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen years  he  commenced  working  on  a 
farm  by  the  month  and  was  thus  employed 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six,  when 
he  licnight  forty  acres  of  land  in  Mosquito 
township.  Avhich  together  with  the  forty 
acres  owned  by  his  wife  made  a  good  farm 
of  eighty  acres.  This  he  successfully  oper- 
ated until  1901.  when  he  sold  the  place  and 
removed  to  his  present  farm,  which  is  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixt}'  acres.  He  has  re- 
centl}'  erected  a  nice  modern  fi\'e-r(jom  cot- 
tage and  has  otherwise  impro\ed  his  ])rop- 
erty,  making  it  a  very  desirable  farm.  It  is 
pleasantl}'  located  about  three  and  three- 
([uarters  miles  northeast  of  Owaneco. 

Desiring  a  companion  and  helpmate  on 
life's  journey  Mr.  Travis  chose  Miss  Ida  M. 
P(illard,  a  daughter  of  (ieorge  F.  Pollard, 
who  was  a  native  of  Harrison  county.  Ken- 
tuck}',  and  their  marriage,  which  was  cele- 
brated in  1885,  has  been  blessed  by  five  chil- 


114 


TAST  AND  I'K'F.SENT 


(Ireii :  l''i'c(l.  Uolil',  M;u1:l;c.  Irene  and  Lena 
Mae.  'Hie  faniil}'  Imld  nienibersliii)  in  the 
Church  cf  Christ  and  stand  hij^h  sociall}-  in 
the  eoniniunilv  wliere  they  reside.  In  liis 
social  relations  Mr.  'Praxis  is  a  nieniher  (il 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at  Owan- 
eco  and  in  politics  is  identitied  with  the 
Democratic  nartx-. 


A.  X.  WARNER. 

.\.  X.  Warner,  one  of  the  honored  early 
settlers  of  Rosamond  township,  where  he  is 
now  ensrasred  in  farmino-  on  section  JS-  '^^as 
l)(M-n  Octoher  Jj.  1S43,  in  Hinsdale,  Berk- 
shire county.  Massachusetts,  his  p.arents 
beino-  Benjamin  E.  and  Rebecca  (Parsons) 
Warner,  natixes  of  Connecticut  and  Massa- 
chusetts, respectively.  He  traces  his  ances- 
tr\-  back  to  Seth  Warner,  of  Revolutionary 
times.  ^]^he  father  of  our  subject  was  born 
Tune  JO.  t8io.  and  was  reared  on  a  farm 
but  later  learned  the  cabinetmaker's  trade 
and  engag"ed  in  that  business  at  Hinsdale, 
Massachusetts  for  several  years.  Deciding 
to  come  west  he  removed  to  Christian 
ccnuity.  Illinois,  in  1856  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Rosamond  townshi]).  erecting-  one 
of  the  iirst  houses  in  that  locality,  it  being 
now  the  property  of  H.  (iraham.  Here  his 
wife  died  in  1865.  but  he  is  still  living, 
beine  now  nxer  ninetv-three  vears  of  age. 
and  makes  his  home  with  his  son,  Charles 
B).  ^^'arner,  in  \^ermont.  In  his  family  were 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
and  the  sons  all  reached  m.'ituritw 

The  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life  A.  X'. 
Warner  spent  on  a  farm  in  his  nati\e  county 
and  in  the  schools  of  Hinsdale  he  began  his 
education.  In  1856  he  accom])an.ied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Christian  county. 
Illinois,  and  here  grew  to  manhood,  making 


iiis  home  in  Uosaniond  township  e\er  since. 
He  was  married  at  Rosemond.  .Se])tember 
JO,  i8(/5.  to  ]\liss  Caroline  Keep,  a  native  of 
Illinois,  and  to  them  ha\e  l)een  born  six  chil- 
dren, those  still  lixing'  being  X'clson.  who 
married  Miss  ]\TcDonald  and  li\es  in  l)ur- 
lington.  Vermont;  Mary,  now  a  trained 
nurse  of  that  city;  luirl.  at  home  with  his 
parents;  Charles  Benjamin,  who  is  married 
and  also  lives  in  Vermont;  and  Clara  N.,  at 
home. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  JVtr.  War- 
ner began  farming  on  his  own  account  and 
from  1865  to  1870  had  charge  of  the  home 
farm  lielonging  to  his  father.  He  is  now 
living"  on  section  25,  Rosamond  township, 
and  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing. During  his  long  residence  in  this 
countv  he  has  become  widely  and  favorably 
known  and  has  made  many  warm  friends 
who  esteem  him  highly  for  his  genuine 
worth. 


JOSEPH   DEWOLF. 

Joseph  De  \W)lf,  ]iroprietor  of  a  general 
store  in  Assumption,  was  born  in  Delaware 
county.  Ohio,  Novemljer  7,  18-13,  his  par- 
ents being  Chauncey  and  Elizabeth 
(  Rhoades)  De  A\'olf.  The  father,  who  was 
born  in  \A\aybrook,  Massachusetts,  in  1800, 
died  in  1877.  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
vears,  and  the  moth.er,  who  was  born  in 
Woodstock,  A'irginia,  in  1819,  died  in  1895, 
at  the  age  of  se\eut\-ii\e  vears.  His  ances- 
tors  first  located  in  Xew  York  and  later 
mingled  with  the  Puritan  stock  of  Massa- 
chusetts.  Mr.  De  Wolf  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  on  the  old  homestead  reared 
his  familv  of  thirteen  children.  X'^ine  of  the 
number  reached  years  of  maturity  and  seven 
are  now  li\ing. 

Josepii  De  Wolf,  the  fourth  in  order  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


4L5 


liirtli,  pursued  his  education  in  the  pnhHc 
schools  of  Ohio,  where  he  won  a  scholar- 
shii3  entitling-  him  to  a  course  in  the  Bryant 
&  Stratton  Commercial  College.  This  he 
attended  and  was  therehy  fitted  for  the  prac- 
tical and  responsible  duties  of  a  business 
career.  In  early  life  he  became  imbued  with 
the  desire  to  enter  mercantile  affairs  and 
ne\er  lost  sight  of  that  object.  After  enter- 
ing upon  his  business  career  he  tra\'eled 
throughout  western  Ohio  as  a  representa- 
ti\e  of  a  mercantile  house.  Later,  howe\'er. 
he  was  employed  as  rodman  with  a  sur\'ev- 
ing  jiart}^  and  for  two  years  was  connected 
with  ci\il  engineering  in  the  extension  of 
the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad.  He  re- 
mained with  that  corporation  until  the 
completion  of  its  line  and  w'as  an  expert 
employe,  although  he  never  i)ursue<l  a  course 
of  stud}'  in  engineering.  He  worked  under 
General  Deitzler,  with  headquarters  at  Law- 
rence, Kansas.  He  was  afterward  con- 
nected with  the  Northwestern  Railroad 
Company  under  Major  Howe  until  1871. 
the  year  of  the  great  Chicago  fire.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Illinois  on  a  visit  and  was 
so  well  pleased  with  the  cii^v  of  Assum])tion. 
and  its  future  prospects  that  he  resoh-ed  to 
make  his  home  in  this  citv. 

In  the  meantime,  howe\-er,  Mr.  De  Wolf 
had  had  considerable  military  as  well  as  his 
surveying  experience.  For  eighteen  months 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Ohio  State  ^lilitia 
and  in  August,  1862,  ])rompted  by  a  spirit 
(^f  patriotism,  he  enlisted  in  response  to  his 
country's  need  as  a  member  of  Companv  H, 
Fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Captain  D.  H.  Straub,  and  for  seventeen 
months  he  was  with  that  command.  With 
his  regiment  he  jjarticipated  in  all  the  en- 
gagements around  Petersburg.  The  first 
battle  in  which  he  took  part  was  that  of  the 
Wilderness   and  he  was   under  fire  almost 


continuously  for  twenty-one  days.  Lie  took 
])art  in  sixteen  dilTerent  battles  and  skir- 
mishes and  after  the  close  of  the  w-ar  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge  on  the  21st 
of  July,  1865. 

.Vfter  coming  to  Assumption  in  1872  ]\Ir. 
De  Wolf  l)ecame  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  this 
portion  of  the  state,  but  his  life  has  been 
largely  devoted  to  mercantile  interests.  He 
was,  however,  an  insurance  adjuster  for  the 
Home  Insurance  Company  of  New^  York  for 
eight  years.  On  the  ist  of  August,  1894, 
his  present  business  was  established.  He 
was  at  first  located  in  a  one-story  frame 
building,  where  he  began  dealing  in  flour 
and  feed.  From  this  modest  beginning  he 
has  extended  his  field  of  labor,  branching 
out  in  other  directions  from  time  to  time 
until  he  has  to-day  one  of  the  ])opular  mer- 
cantile establishments  of  Assumption.  His 
place  of  business  is  known  as  the  A.  T.  C. 
store,  in  which  he  carries  a  select  stock  of 
staple  and  fancy  groceries,  queensware,  no- 
tions and  men's  furnishing  goods.  He  em- 
ploys Frank  M.  Gaudy  as  manager  of  this 
establishment,  b^rom  time  to  time  he  moved 
his  place  of  Ijusiness  northward  and  thus  for- 
tunately escaped  the  great  fires  which  at 
different  times  have  largely  devastated  the 
business  district  further  south.  For  six 
years  he  has  l)een  in  his  ])resent  location, 
occupying  a  large  brick  building.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  he  owns  two  stores  on  Second 
South  street,  ^^•here  he  deals  in  feed,  jiroduce 
and  ])()ultry.  This  is  an  im])ortant  and  ])rof- 
ital)le  branch  of  his  business.  He  bu^'s  large 
(|uantities  of  the  country  produce,  packing 
and  shi])])ing  the  same  and  thus  furnishing 
an  excellent  market  for  the  farmers,  while 
at  the  same  time  the  enter])rise  is  proving  a 
good  source  of  remuneration  to  hmi. 

At  Towerhill,  Shelby  county.  Illinois. 
Mr.    De  Wolf  was  vmited   in   marriage  to 


410 


I'ASr   AM)    i'KRSF.NT 


Miss  I.iiiiisa  Wdlf,  ;i  (laiij^htcr  of  Peter 
Wolf,  of  I'aj^e  coiintw  l<i\\a.  Slie  was  born 
in  (Ireene  couiil\'.  Indiana,  and  by  bcr  niar- 
riag'e  has  l)ec<inie  the  niotlier  of  l\\i>  daiij^b- 
ters,  LilHe.  who  is  r.ow  resi(Hni;'  in  Los  An- 
geles. CaHtornia:  an.!  Allic.  who  (bed  when 
about  seventeen  years  of  age. 

Mr.  De  Wolf  owns  toA\n  property,  inclnd- 
ing  bis  ])leasant  residence  on  Samuel  street 
near  St.  Mary's  cluirob.  lie  belongs  to  the 
(irand  Armv  of  the  kepnblic  and  for  nine- 
teen years  has  been  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  1^'ellows.  He  holds 
membershi])  in  the  ^lethodist  Episcopal 
church  and  be  gives  bis  ])olitical  support  to 
the  Prohibition  i)arty.  two  facts  in  his  rec- 
ord which  indicate  an  honorable,  upright 
and  temperate  life.  He  has  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  for  eiglit  years,  has  been  asses- 
.sor  of  Assum]:)tion  townshii)  for  three  years 
and  notarv  public  for  twenty  years.  At  the 
outset  of  his  career  he  had  no  special  family 
or  pecuniary  advantages  to  assist  him,  but 
the  strength  of  his  character  was  manifest 
in  his  strong  determination,  clc^se  attention 
to  his  business  duties  and  his  earnest  and 
laudal)le  desire  for  advancement.  Gradually 
he  has  ])rogressed  and  the  prosjjerity  which 
should  ever  crown  honorable,  persistent  ef- 
fort is  to-dav  his. 


CORXELIUS  DRAKE. 

In  linancial  circles  Cornelius  Drake  is 
well  known  as  a  man  of  utmost  reliability 
as  well  as  of  business  activity.  He  was 
born  October  23,  1854.  in  W'adsworth, 
Ohio,  a  son  of  Hiram  H.  and  Margaret  IZ. 
Drake.  His  father,  a  natixe  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in 
earlv  life  in  the  i)lace  of  bis  nativity  and 
afterward  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until   1877,  ^^licn  he  came 


to  Illinois,  lie  then  lunicd  hi->  allentiiin  lo 
farming,  settling  near  (irii\e  C  ity.  where  he 
•  iwned  and  operated  eighty  acres  i>\  land. 
continuing  its  cultix'ation  until  his  life's  la- 
bors were  ended  in  death  in  March.  iiStjS. 

Cornelius  Drake  pursued  his  early  edu- 
cation in.  the  ])ublic  schools  and  was  after- 
ward a  student  in  the  Mennonite  College  at 
W'adswi  •rtb,  (  )liio.  bantering  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  as  a  teacher,  he  followed  that 
])rofession  for  four  years  and  then  became 
connected  w  ith  mercantile  life  as  a  salesman 
in  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Chamberlain 
&  Barnes  of  Tavlor\ille,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  a  }ear  and  a  half.  He  then 
began  business  on  iiis  own  account,  entering 
into  i)artnership  \\ith  O.  Z.  Housley.  as  a 
general  merchant  at  Ciro\-e  Cit\'.  Later  thev 
estal)lished  a  bank  at  that  ])lace.  which  they 
still  ow  n.  Tn  1893  ]\Ir.  Drake  came  to  Ston- 
ington.  where  he  again  embarked  in  mer- 
chandising and  also  l)ecame  acti\elv  inter-  4 
ested  in  banking.  At  a  later  date  he  dis- 
])osed  of  his  store,  but  has  continued  to  con- 
duct the  bank  under  the  firm  name  of  Hous- 
le}-  (it  Drake.  This  is  a  private  banking  in- 
stitution which  was  organized  in  1893  and 
is  now  the  oldest,  largest  and  strongest 
financial  concern  of  the  town.  He  is  like- 
wise a  silent  jjartner  in  the  store  of  Sands. 
Miller  &  Compau)'  of  Stonington.  Lie  acts 
as  cashier  at  the  bank-  and  the  success  of  this 
institution  is  largel}"  attributal)le  to  his  ef- 
forts and  keen  business  discernment. 

( )n  the  3()th  of  September.  t88o.  was  cel- 
ebrated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Drake  and  Miss 
Estella  .Sadler,  of  (lro\-e  Cit}'.  Illinois,  and 
five  children  ha\e  been  born  to  them,  of 
whom  four  are  now  li\-ing:  Ada.  lla.  and 
EluK^  and  Waldo,  twins.  All  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof.  Mrs.  Drake's  parents, 
Samuel  J.  and  Mary  ( Coover )  Sadler,  were 
both  born  near  notu"ne\ille,  Ohio,  and  soon 


CORNELIUS  DRAKE 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  JLLINOIS. 


410 


after  their  marriage  came  to  liliiKiis,  locat- 
ing on  a  farm  near  Crox'c  City  in  Christian 
county,  where  the  father  spent  the  remain- 
der of  Ills  Hfe  with  the  exception  of  four 
years,  when  he  resided  in  Springfield.  He 
died  in  1885  and  a  few  }'ears  later  his  wife 
removed  to  Stonington,  wdiere  her  death  oc- 
cm-red  in  Novemher,  1891.  In  politics  Mr. 
Sadler  was  a  Repul)lican  and  in  religious 
Ijclief  A^•as  a  Meth.odist.  heing  an  active 
memher  of  that  church  for  many  years  and 
serving  as  steward  and  trustee  of  the  same. 
He  was  also  connected  with  the  Ad^asonic 
fraternity  .and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  In  his  family  were  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  seven  are  still  living,  namely; 
Estella,  wife  of  our  subject;  Flora,  a  resi- 
dent of  Stonington;  Lena,  widow  of  Irwin 
Drake  and  a  resident  of  Stonington ;  Carrie, 
wife  of  A.  B.  Kirk,  of  Grove  City;  Wilbur 
A.,  who  also  makes  his  home  in  Grove  Citv ; 
Mehin  S.,  ^vh(^  is  living  in  the  same  place; 
and  Frank  I'.,  an  attorney  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  hold  membership  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  con- 
tribute generously  to  its  support.  He  is  the 
clerk  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp  at 
Stonington,  is  the  worthy-  treasurer  of  the 
Court  of  Honor,  captain  of  the  Fraternal 
Army,  treasurer  of  the  Royal  Circle  and  be- 
longs to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and 
^^•as  elected  mayor  of  Stonington  for  two 
terms ;  for  four  terms  he  ser\'ed  on  the  town 
board;  and  while  living  in  Grove  City  he 
filled  the  position  of  postmaster  under  Presi- 
dent Garfield.  He  has  been  active  in  everv- 
thing  pertaining  to  the  public  good  and 
progress  of  Stonington  and  at  the  same  time 
has  carried  forward  his  business  afifairs  in 
a  manner  that  shows  marked  energv,  dili- 
gence  and  Imsiness  sagacity.  Prosperity  has 
attended  his  labors  and  although  he  beran 


lile  without  taniily  or  ])ecuiiiary  advantages 
to  aid  him  he  is  now  one  of  the  substantial 
residents  of  Christian  county. 


H.  M.  LANGLEY. 


H.  M.  Langley,  of  Taylorville,  was  born 
A])ril  J 2,  185 1,  in  Taylorville  townshi]),  his 
])arents  being  Robert  Preston  and  Minerva 
Ann  (Pittman)  Langley.  The  father  was 
a  nati\-e  of  Christian  county,  Kentucky,  born 
in  the  year  18 12,  and  came  on  horseback  to 
this  county,  casting  in  his  lot  with  early  pio- 
neer settlers.  The  year  of  his  arrival  was 
[831,  at  which  date  there  had  been  little 
done  in  the  way  of  improx-emenf  and  up- 
huilding.  He  purchased  land  here  and  lived 
on  it  for  more  than  fifty  years.  As  time 
advanced  he  prospered  in  his  imdertakings 
and  became  the  owner  of  over  five  hundred 
acres,  constituting  a  very  valuable  and  de- 
sirable property.  He  was  a  successful 
farmer,  a  self-made  man  and  was  prominent 
in  the  early  days  of  the  county's  develop- 
ment, assisting  materially  in  the  work  of 
general  improvement.  He  died  in  the  year 
1893  and  his  wife,  surviving  him  about  four 
years,  passed  away  in  1897.  They  left  three 
sons,  the  brothers  of  our  subject  being- 
Moses  D.  Langley,  who  is  living  in  Taylor- 
\ille  township;  and  Rufus  D..  a  resident  of 
Wamego,  Kansas. 

H.  M.  Langley  obtained  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Taylorville  township, 
wh.ich  he  attended  when  his  time  was  not 
occupied  by  the  duties  of  the  home  farm. 
He  earlv  became  familiar  with  the  work  of 
cultivating  the  fields  and  assisted  his  father 
in  the  operation  of  the  home  i)lace  until 
eighteen  years  of  age.  when  he  left  Christian 
county  and  went  to  the  west.  For  a  time 
he  was  engaged  in  driving  a  stage  for  the 
go\ernment    in    Kansas,    making   his    head- 


4i>0 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


(|iuirters  at  Dodtje  City,  where  lie  leinaiiied 
for  the  years.  He  went  to  that  place  before 
there  was  a  single  house  in  the  town,  l)ut  the 
west  was  1)eing  rapidly  developed  and  great 
changes  occurred  before  ]iis  return  to  Illi- 
nois. In  1875  he  again  came  to  Christian 
county  and  has  since  remained  a  resident  of 
Tavli>r\ille,  covering"  a  ])eriod  of  twenty- 
eight  years.  He  is  now  conducting  a  cafe 
in  Taylorville.  under  the  firm  name  of  Lang- 
ley  &  Drohan.  He  also  owns  a  fine  farm  in 
Taylorville  township,  comprising  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  land,  and  from  this  he 
receives  a  good  annual  income. 

In  1878  ]\Ir.  Langley  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  ^liss  Lvdia  A.  Brents,  a  daughter 
of  \\'illiam  Brents,  who  was  reared  near 
Tavlor\ille.  Unto  them  ha\e  been  born  two 
children,  but  only  one  is  now  living:  Fred 
E..  who  married  Miss  Sarah  Caldwell,  of 
Joplin.  ^^lissouri.  and  resides  in  Taylorville. 
Mr.  Langlev  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Py- 
thias fraternity  of  Taylorville,  with  which 
he  has  been  identified  for  twenty-five  years. 
In  ])olitics  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  give 
his  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  He 
owns  one  of  the  best  residences  in  Taylor- 
ville and  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  desiring 
the  permanent  growth  and  substantial  up- 
building of  the  town. 


CHARLES  M.  HISE. 

Charles  ^l.  Hise  is  a  leading  representa- 
tive of  the  business  interests  of  Stonington, 
where  as  a  plasterer  and  l)ricklayer  he  is  en- 
gaged in  contracting  anci  also  conducts  a 
livery  stable.  He  is  a  man  of  good  business 
and  executive  ability  and  has  won  success 
by  well  directed,  energetic  effort  A  native 
of  Christian  county,  he  was  lx)rn  near  Gro\e 
Cit}-.    "May    15,    i8<^4,   and   throughout    the 


vears  of  his  nianliodd  lias  been  identified 
with  the  interests  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

C.  C.  Hise.  our  subject's  father,  was  born 
in  Mason  county.  Kentucky,  in  1831,  a  son 
of  Philip  and  Hannah  Hise.  Leaving  his 
native  state  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he 
went  to  \\"averly,  Ohio,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  plasterer  and  bricklayer,  and 
in  1856  he  came  to  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois. He  first  located  near  Grove  City,  l,ut 
afterward  removed  to  Stonington,  where  he 
erected  a  few  residences.  Imt  is  now  living 
retired,  being  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of 
the  town.  He  married  Letta  Howard  and 
to  them  were  born  eight  children. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Charles 
M.  Hise  attended  the  public  sch(X)ls  of 
(irove  Cit}'  and  Stonington  and  with  his 
father  learned  plastering  and  bricklaying, 
which  he  has  since  followed  with  good  suc- 
cess. Since  1883  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Stonington  and  two  years  later,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  he  commenced  contracting". 
On  the  ist  of  April,  1903,  he  purchased  a 
livery  stable  which  he  now  conducts  in  con- 
nection with  his  other  business  and  besides 
this  property  he  owns  his  own  pleasant  resi- 
dence and  another  house  in  Stonin.gton.  He 
is  a  very  reliable  and  energetic  business  man 
and  his  success  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his 
own  industrious  eft'orts. 

On  the  loth  of  July,  1888,  :\Ir.  Hise  Avas 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lorena  \\"eiser, 
a  daughter  of  Phili])  \\'eiser,  "who  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  section  and  was 
engaged  in  the  grain  and  tile  iMisiness  in 
Stonington  for  many  years.  L^nto  our  sub- 
ject and  his  \\\ie  were  born  six  children, 
namely:  Clyde:  Wade;  Letta,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  eight  vears;  Homer;  Guv;  and 
I-'reda.  Mrs.  Hise  is  a  member  (^f  the  Re- 
formed church  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady. 
In  his  Dolitical  views  our  subject  is  a  Re- 


J 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


421 


pul)lican  and  he  has  l)een  called  upon  t<:) 
serve  as  collector  of  Stonington  township. 
He  has  always  heen  found  true  to  every 
trust  reposed  in  him  and  well  merits  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  so  freely  accorded  him. 


A.  D.  MOORE. 

A.  D.  Moore,  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war  and  a  successful  farmer  of  Mount 
Aul)urn  township,  his  home  being  on  section 
25,  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Illinois,  in 
Septembei'',  1846,  his  parents  being  William 
and  Melinda  (Nowland)  Moore,  natives  of 
Tennessee  and  early  settlers  of  the  Prairie 
state.  Tlie  mother  died  in  1856  and  the 
father  departed  this  life  in  1862. 

Mr.  Moore,  of  this  review,  was  princi- 
l)ally  educated  at  Spanglers  Switch,  Illinois, 
and  also  attended  school  in  Kansas  for  a 
time,  having  removed  to  that  state  in  1856. 
During  the  dark  days  of  the  Rebellion  he 
laid  aside  all  personal  interests  and  in  1864 
enlisted  in  Company  L,  Fifteenth  Kansas 
Regiment.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Blue  River,  Geckman  Mill  and  Arkansas 
River  and  after  hostilities  ceased  was  hon- 
()ral)ly  discharged  in  October,  1865.  Re- 
turning to  Kansas,  he  remained  in  that  state, 
working  by  the  month  until  1874,  w-hen  he 
came  to  Illinois.  He  spent  two  years  in  De- 
catur in  the  employ  of  others,  and  in  1876 
came  to  Christian  county,  where  be  has  since 
followed  farming.  He  operated  rented  land 
until  lyoo,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  acres,  but  two  years  later 
sold  that  place  and  remo\-ed  to  his  present 
farm  on  section  26,  I^Iount  Auljurn  town- 
ship. 

In  1876  Mr.  Moore  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Melinda  Cook,  a  daughter  of 
John  Cook,  who  was  a  native  of  Indiana. 
Of  the  twelve  children  born  of  diis  union 


five  of  the   nuni1)cr   died   in    infancy.      The- 
others  are  J.  F..  wdio  is  married  and  follows 
farming  in   Christian    county ;   and    Bryant 
D.,    Irwin,    Alonzo,    Mary    M.,    Alice    and 
Elmer,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Moore  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  and  takes  deep  interest  in  ])ublic  af- 
fairs. He  is  an  honored  memljer  of  the 
Grand  Army  Post,  No.  208,  of  Illiopolis, 
and  is  a  man  highly  esteemed  b}-  all  who 
kno^^■  him. 


LEO  JOHNSON. 

The  Johnson  family  is  very  well  known 
in  Christian  county,  for  from  early  pioneer 
days  representatives  of  the  name  have  been 
active  in  agricultural  circles  and  stock-deal- 
ing here.  Leo  Johnson  is  the  youngest  of 
the  family  and  was  born  in  Guernsey  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1847,  ^lis  parents 
being  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Foote) 
Johnson,  the  former  a  native  of  London, 
England,  and  the  latter  of  County  Cork, 
Ireland.  The  family  numbered  nine  chil- 
dren and  Leo  Johnson  was  a  babe  of  only 
eighteen  months  at  the  time  of  the  removal 
of  the  parents  to  Greene  county,  Illinois. 
There  he  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm 
and  obtained  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  The  occupation,  with  which  he  be- 
came familiar  in  his  boyhood  days,  he  has 
always  made  his  life  work  and  has  devoted 
a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the  raising  of 
shorthorn  cattle,  making  a  specialty  of  thor- 
oughbreds; in  fact  he  ranks,  to-day,  as  one 
of  the  leading  stock-dealers  in  this  portion 
of  the  state  and  his  business  is  of  an  impor- 
tant character  and  brings  to  him  a  large  an- 
nual return. 

Mr.  fohnson  has  served  as  school  treasu- 
rer for  twenty-five  years  and  has  also  filled 
other  local  positions,  serving  as  supervisor, 


422 


I'AS'I^  AN\)   I'Kr.Sl'.N'r 


as  lii|[;li\\ a\  C(iinims>i( iiRT  and  a^  (.nlU'cior. 
Ji)  j)()litics -lie  is  a  Ivcpiiljlican.  k-jcpinj^  well 
iiifornicd  on  tlic  (fuestions  and  issues  of  the 
da}-  and  lie  ne\er  fallers  in  liis  allegiance  to 
the  party  which  he  beheves  contains  the  best 
elements  of  good  government.  His  relig- 
ious faith  is  that  of  tlie  I^res])yterian  church. 

On  the  i()th  of  Xo\ember.  1876,  in  .\s- 
sumption  township.  .\lr.  Johnson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  K.  Ab)ore.  a 
daughter  of  j.  V.  and  Mary  (  Brauherd ) 
Moore.  She  was  the  foiu'th  in  order  of 
birth  among  their  children  and  l)y  her  mar- 
riage she  has  become  the  mother  of  three 
chilch^eu :  l^eola.  now  the  wife  of  A.  C. 
Smith,  of  .\rattoon.  Illinois.  l)v  whom  she 
has  two  children,  Mary  Eloise  and  Leo.  the 
latter  named  for  his  grandfather;  Benjamin 
Porter,  who  was  named  for  botli  liis  ]iater- 
nal  and  maternal  grandfathers;  and  Robert. 
who  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Johnson  took  up  his  abode  on  his 
present  farm  in  1876  and  after  his  marriage 
erected  a  modern  residence  sup])lied  with 
every  convenience,  such  as  is  found  in  the 
city.  On  the  18th  of  January,  1899.  Ikwv- 
ever,  this  desirable  home  was  destroyed  b}- 
tire  and  in  the  spriiig.  with  characteristic 
energy.  Mr.  Johnson  rebuilt  the  place,  his 
residence  being  a  credit  to  the  township,  for 
the  improvements  are  all  of  the  very  best. 
The  house  is  supjilied  witli  comfortalile  and 
beautiful  modern  furniture  and  ever}'thing 
about  the  place  is  attractive,  neat  and  thrifty 
in  appearance.  There  are  good  barns  and 
other  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain 
and  stock  and  the  latest  farm  machinery  is 
used  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  ])lace. 
which  com])rises  two  hundred  acres  of  rich 
land,  located  on  section  2/,  Assumption 
township.  Mr.  Johnson  also  has  one  hun- 
dred  and   sixtv   acres  on   section   20.      j\!r. 


jolnisoii  is  oni'  (il  the  i)nbhc-si)iri1ed  citizens 
o|  .\s>nni])tion  townshi])  -uid  one  of  its  niost 
])'  ipular  residents. 


EDWIN  EDMUNDS. 

l""or  man}-  years  this  gentleman  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  farming  but  is  now 
practicalK'  lixing  a  retired  life,  enjoNing  the 
fruits  of  former  toil.  lie  has  a  pleasant 
home  on  section  J.  IJear  Creek  township, 
where  surrounded  b}'  many  comforts  and 
luxuries  he  is  spending  his  declining  years 
in  ease  and  ([uiet.  Mis  boyhood  home  was 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  for  he  was 
born  in  Northami)tonshire,  hingland,  June 
24,  1845,  a  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(  Thornlow )  lulmunds.  who  were  also  na- 
ti\es  of  that  countr}-.  The  father,  who  was 
a  gardener  by  occupation,  died  in  1863,  and 
the  mother,  long  sur\i\ing  him.  ])assed  awa}- 
in  J  893.  , 

Edwin  Edmunds  was  reared  and  educated 
in  England  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years 
began  wiM'k  in  a  hothouse  wdiere  lie  was  em- 
])loyed  until  Ajjril.  1867.  Desiring  to  try 
his  fortune  in  America,  where  he  believed 
that  better  opportunities  were  afforded  am- 
bitious and  industrious  young  men,  he  came 
to  the  new  world  and  first  located  in  Dela- 
ware, where  he  was  in  the  emjiloy  oi  ex- 
( ioxernor  A\'illiam  Ross  for  one  vear.  In 
May.  1868,  he  came  to  Ta}lor\-ille.  Illinois, 
and  soou  obtained  work  bv  the  month  on  a 
farm,  where  he  remained  one  year.  The 
following  year  he  operated  the  D.  \^.  .Vdams 
fanu  and  at  the  end  of  tliat  time  ])urchascd 
a  team  antl  forming  a  ])artnership  with 
Thomas  Wiggins  engaged  in  the  culti\ation 
of  rented  land  until  1870.  when  the\-  bought 
their  lirst  tract,  consisting  of  eighty  acres, 
where  Mr.  Edmunds  now  lives.  In  1880 
the}-   ])urchased   sixty   acres   more  and   five 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


42;J 


years  later  bought  a  tract  of  forty  acres. 
They  continued  to  carry  on  their  farming 
operations  together  until  1898,  when  our 
subject  purchased  hi'^  partner's  interest  and 
is  now  the  owner  of  a  well  improved  and 
\alualjle  place  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres,  although  it  was  all  raw  prairie  and 
timljer  land  when  it  came  into  their -posses- 
sion. At  present  he  rents  the  farm  and  is 
now  living  retired. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1870,  Mr.  Ed- 
munds married  Miss  Eliza  C.  Cannon,  a 
daughter  of  Benard  Cannon,  who  was  from 
Ohio.  She  died  in  August,  1882,  leaving 
six  children,  namely :  James,  a  conductor 
on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  who  is 
married  and  lives  at  Flora,  Illinois ;  Joseph, 
who  is  married  and  is  now  operating  his 
father's  farm ;  Samuel,  who  is  married  and 
is  also  engaged  in  farming  in  Taylorville 
township,  this  county;  Mary,  wife  of  Irvin 
Eikelberry,  a  farmer  of  Clay  county,  Illi- 
nois; Thomas  R.,  at  home;  and  Delia,  wife 
of  Robert  Mason,  a  resident  of  Carbondale, 
Illinois. 

Having  been  reared  in  the  Episcopal  faith, 
Mr.  Edmunds  still  favors  that  church,  and 
his  political  support  is  given  the  Republican 
party.  For  nine  years  he  has  been  school 
director  in  his  township  and  his  sympathies 
are  with  his  adopted  country  and  her  insti- 
tutions. Fle  deserves  great  credit  for  the 
success  that  he  has  achieved  in  life,  for  he 
has  made  his   wav  unaided   from  an  early 


age. 


WILLIAM  D.  COFFAIAN. 

\A"illiam  D.  Coffman  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative and  prominent  citizens  of  May 
township,  where  he  carries  on  farming  and 
stock-raising  with  good  success,  his  home 
being  on  section  20.     He  was  born  in  Ohio 


county.  West  Virginia,  on  the  9th  of  July, 
1845,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  James  D.  and  Mj^rgaret 
(Settle)  Coffman,  both  natives  of  the  same 
state.  By  trade  the  father  was  a  blacksmith 
but  during  the  latter  years  of  bis  life  he 
followed  farming.  In  185 1  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  became  a  resident  of  Christian 
county,  where  he  died  on  the  ist  of  Novem- 
ber, 1885.  His  wife  had  preceded  him  to 
the  better  world,  passing  away  July  9,  1872. 
Of  their  fi\-e  children  only  our  subject  and 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Isaac  Corzine,  are  now  liv- 


ing. 


William  D.  Coffman,  the  oldest  of  the 
family,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
of  this  state,  being  a  small  boy  on  the  re- 
mo^•al  of  the  family  from  West  Virginia. 
For  one  year  he  was  a  student  in  the  schools 
of  Peoria.  Lentil  twenty-three  years  of  age 
he  worked  for  his  father  and  then  com- 
menced farming  on  his  own  account  upon 
a  tract  of  land  which  was  covered  with  brush 
and  stumps.  These  he  cleared  away  and 
after  breaking  the  land  placed  it  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  As  time  passed 
he  prospered  in  his  farming  operations  and 
is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  in  Alay  town- 
ship, on  which  he  set  out  two  thousand  peach 
trees  and  three  hundred  apple  trees  in  r89i. 
Four  years  later  he  realized  ele\'en  hundred 
and  fifty-five  bushels  of  peaches  from  his 
crop  of  fruit  and  has  found  the  business 
quite  remunerative. 

After  keeping  house  for  himself  for  nine 
years  Mr.  Coffman  was  married  on  the  19th 
of  January,  1881,  to  Miss  Lillian  Fraley. 
who  was  born  December  17,  1857,  and  died 
November  15,  1896.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  John  S.  Fraley,  who  came  to  this  county 
in  1847.  ^^nto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coffman  were 
born  six  children,  namely  :  Mabel  E.,  Min- 
nie and   Mary,   who  are  all   at   hoi:^e  with 


424 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


llieir  father;  i\o\,  who  is  now  in  St.  T.ouis; 
Ruth  Irene:  and  one  wlio  died  in  infancy. 
Jn  rehtii(,)n.s  connccli(»n  Mr.  (\)ffman  is 
a  member  of  the  United  1  )rcthrcn  clnn'cli  and 
in  liis  poHtical  aftihations  he  is  a  rrnhihition- 
ist.  For  nine  years  he  filled  the  office  of 
township  clerk  and  was  school  treasurer  for 
twenty-one  years.  He  is  a  man  highly  re- 
si:)ected  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him 
and  his  word  is  considered  as  good  as  his 
bond. 


JOSE  PIT  \\\  PADDOCK. 

Joseph  \\\  Paddock,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  ]nml)er  business  in  Pana,  is  a  typical 
citizen  of  the  central  west,  alert,  nrogressive 
and  resolute.  It  is  to  such  men  that  the 
west  owes  its  rapid  ad\ancement  and  the 
wonderful  development  of  its  business  en- 
terprises— men  who  watch  for  opportunity, 
utilize  it  when  it  comes  and  w  bile  promoting 
individual  success  also  promote  the  general 
prosperity.  Mr.  Paddock  is  now^  the  man- 
ager and  one  of  the  leading  stockholders 
of  the  Paddock  Lumber  Com]:)any  and  in 
this  connection  controls  one  of  the  largest 
lumber  yards  in  central   Illinois. 

A  native  son  of  Pana,  he  was  born  on 
the  4th  of  December,  1867.  his  parents  being 
O.  H.  and  Ann  Paddock.  His  father  was 
born  in  Woodstock,  Vermont,  in  the  vear 
1830,  and  came  to  Pana  in  1863  as  agent  for 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company.  He 
has  since  been  a  resident  of  the  city,  well 
and  favorably  knoAvn  in  business  circles  and 
is  now  the  president  of  the  Pana  Buildine 
Association,  an  enterprise  which  has  proven 
of  marked  value  in  the  improvement  and  de- 
velopment of  the  citv.  He  is  also  servinsr 
as  police  magistrate. 

Joseph  \\'.  Paddock  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  a  n>anner  not  unsimilar  to  that  of 


most  boys  of  the  period,  his  time  being  large- 
ly divided  between  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room  and  the  pleasures  of  the  playground. 
As  the  years  progressed  he  completed  the 
high  school  course  in  Pana,  after  which  he 
entered  the  University  of  Illinois.  He  pur- 
sued the  architectural  course  and  \\  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  class  of  1892.  He  then  returned 
to  Pana  and  has  continuously  since  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business,  so  that  he  is  now' 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  trade,  the 
grades  of  lumber  and  the  demands  of  the 
public.  He  was  for  several  years  the  man- 
ager of  the  O.  H.  Paddock  Eumber  Com- 
pany, and  in  November,  ic;o2,  he  organized 
the  Paddock  Lumber  Company,  of  which 
Warren  Penwell  is  the  president.  ]\Ir.  Pad- 
dock, however,  owns  the  controlling  interest 
and  manages  the  entire  business.  He  has  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  lumber  yard  in 
central  Illinois  and  his  trade  has  constantly 
growui  in  volume  and  importance,  until  upon 
liis  books  it  is  represented  by  a  large  figure. 
On  the  19th  of  June,  1895,  ^^^-  Paddock 
was  united  in  marriage  to-  Miss  Annie  Hav- 
ward,  a  daughter  of  A.  J.  Hayward  of 
Pana,  now  deceased.  J\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Pad- 
dock have  two  sons,  Howdand  Playward  and 
Oscar  Hayward.  They  hold  membership  in 
the  First  Presbyterian  church,  are  deeply 
interested  in  its  work  and  have  aided  in  its 
development.  ]\Ir.  Paddock  also  has  mem- 
bershi])  relations  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America  and  the  Ro3^al  Arcanum. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  the  Repub- 
lican party  but  wdiile  he  believes  firmly  in 
its  principles  and  never  fails  to  cast  his  vote 
for  its  men  and  measures,  he  has  never  been 
a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office,  seeking, 
preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he  is  meet- 
ing with  very  gratifying  success.  His  per- 
sonal characteristics  and  his  business  record 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


425 


have  combined  to  win  for  him  an  enviable 
position  in  the  regard  of  his  many  friends 
and  of  the  general  public. 


HENRY  J.  BURKE. 

Christian  county  figures  as  one  of  the  most 
attracti\'e,  progressive  and  prosperous  divi- 
sions of  the  state  of  Illinois,  justly  claiming 
a  high  order  of  citizenship  and  a  spirit  of 
enterprise  which  is  certain  to  conserve  con- 
secutive development  and  marked  advance- 
ment in  the  material  upbuilding  of  the  sec- 
tion. The  county  has  been  and  is  signally 
favored  in  the  class  of  men  who  have  con- 
trolled its  affairs  in  official  capacity,  and  in 
this  connection  the  subject  of  this  review  de- 
mands representation  as  one  who  has  served 
the  county  faithfully  and  well  in  positions 
of  distinct  trust  and  responsibility.  Mr. 
Burke  is  now  filling  the  position  of  county 
clerk,  having  taken  the  office  after  one  of 
the  most  peculiar  contest  election  cases  ever 
known  in  Illinois,  a  case  wdiich  not  only 
showed  that  Mr.  Burke  had  all  the  support 
that  he  claimed,  but  also  that  he  had  the 
allegiance  of  many  men  who  were  claimed 
by  the  opposition. 

A  native  of  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  he 
was  born  near  Pleasant  Plains  on  the  8th 
of  November,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael 
and  Bridget  (Davin)  Burke,  who  in  1876 
removed  to  Christian  county,  settling  in  As- 
sumption township,  where  they  are  now  liv- 
ing. The  father  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald 
Isle  and,  bidding  adieu  to  that  country  ni 
1 86 1,  he  sailed  for  the  new  world,  first  es- 
tablishing his  home  in  Sangamon  county, 
Illinois.  In  the  family  were  six  children, 
of  whom  five  are  living. 

Henry  J.  Burke  pursued  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  in  early  life  served 
as  turnkey  in  the  Macon  county  jail  under 


Sheriff  J.  H.  Mauzy  for  eighteen  months. 
He  afterward  became  a  student  in  the  Nor- 
mal School  at  Bushnell,  Illinois,  and  in  the 
Lincoln  Business  College  of  Lincoln,  this 
state.  For  a  short  time  he  engaged  in 
teaching  school  and  later  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  which  he  carried  on  ex- 
tensively, operating  a  large  tract  of  land 
two  miles  west  of  Assumption  for  a  period 
of  four  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  was  called  to  public  office,  serving 
as  tax  collector  of  his  township  in  the  year 
1897-8.  He  was  afterward  deputy  circuit 
clerk  under  Edward  J.  Rhodes  of  Christian 
county  from  1899  i-"itil  1902  and  in  the 
latter  year  he  became  a  candidate  for  the 
nomination  for  county  clerk  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  In  the  convention  he  received 
the  nomination  o^•er  Charles  Clark,  county 
clerk,  and  Thomas  J.  Downey,  county  sher- 
iff, and  at  the  November  election  he  was 
chosen  for  the  office  by  a  majority  of  five 
hundred,  although  Mr.  Downey  ran  upon 
an  independent  ticket.  Mr.  Burke  received 
two-thirds  of  the  Republican  vote  of  his  own 
township,  a  fact  which  indicates  his  personal 
popularity  among  the  people  by  whom  he  is 
best  known.  His  defeated  rival  for  the  of- 
fice, T.  J.  Downey,  then  instituted  a  law^ 
suit,  claiming  that  the  nomination  should 
have  gone  to  him  in  the  convention.  The 
counsel  for  the  defense  made  a  statement 
that  he  could  produce  a  decision  by  the  Illi- 
nois supreme  court  that  all  contest  cases  in 
the  primaries  should  be  settled  by  the  county 
committees,  but  the  case  was  called  and  as 
one  of  the  local  papers  said,  "Downey's  own 
testimony  kills  his  case."  Fourteen  men 
were  all  who  he  could  get  to  say  that  they 
voted  for  him  and  some  of  them  were  ignor- 
ant and  depraved.  The  case  proved  a  farce 
from  beginning  to  end  and  strengthened  Mr. 
I'urke's   popularity   with   the   public.      This 


420 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


was  one  of  the  most  unique  cases  that  c\\.m- 
came  up  for  settlement  in  the  courts  ol  llh- 
nois  and  the  foUowiuL;-  was  the  decision  ren- 
dered: "Under  motion  to  (hsmiss  hy  the 
defendant  for  purpose  of  motion  a(hnits  facts 
as  pro\en  to  l)c  true  and  so  considcrinii;'  tlic 
matter  we  tind  1)\-  the  e\  idcncc  tliat  m(;re 
A'otes  were  cast  for  Downey  than  is  shown 
by  the  poU  hooks  and  tally  sheets;  we  also 
find  that  a  numher  of  Kepuhlicans  voted,  but 
when  all  deductions  and  additions  are  made 
in  accordance  w  ith  the  testimony,  it  does  not 
change  the  result  between  Downey  and 
Burke.  \\'e  therefore  find  that  the  material 
allee^tions  in  the  bill  are  not  sustained  and 
the  case  is  th.erefore  dismissed."  Mr.  Burke 
is  proving-  a  popular  officer  and  one 'who  en- 
joys in  a  high  degree  the  respect  and  confi- 
dence of  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Burke  was  married  November  ';, 
1903.  to  Miss  Margaret  Cronin,  daughter  of 
James  and  Mary  (Madden)  Cronin,  of  .\s- 
sumption.  Mrs.  Burke  has  served  as  deputy 
countv  clerk  since  Mr.  I'urkc  assumed  the 
duties  of  his  office. 


DIAL  DA\1S. 
For  almost  seventy  years  Dial  Da.vis 
made  his  home  in  Christian  county  and  his 
entire  life  was  passed  in  this  section  of  the 
state  for  he  was  born  near  Mechanicsl)urg 
in  Sangamon  count}-,  januarx-  to,  uSjO. 
-Amid  pioneer  scenes  he  grew  to  manhoxl 
and  received  such  educational  advantages 
as  the  times  afforded.  M  the  age  of  twenty 
years  he  enlisted  iov  service  in  the  Mexican 
war,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Captain  I.  C.  Pugh  and  Colonel  F.  D. 
l>aker.  He  was  with  the  army  for  twelve 
months  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Cerro 
Gordo  and  \'era  Cruz.  He  was  \\itinn 
twentv  vards  of  (ieneral  Shields  when  that 


officer  was  shot  and  was  with  the  Illinois 
troops  that  captured  Santa  Ana's  cork  leg 
and  treasure,  but  did  not  share  in  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  spoils  as  did  those  who  were 
luckv  enough  to  m.ake  the  capture.  ^Mr. 
Da\-is  was  discharged  and  mustered  out  at 
New  ( )rleans  and  then  returned  to  bis  home 
in  Christian  count)'. 

The  la.nd  warrant  he  received  for  his  serv- 
ices be  traded  for  forty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tions 13  and  24,  town  15  north,  range  2 
west,  but  a  few  years  later  he  disposed  of 
that  tract  and  ])urcbased  eighty  acres  on 
section  11,  Mount  .\uburn  township,  only 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  village  of 
Mount  Aubiu-n.  lie  began  bis  farnnng  op- 
erations with  only  one  horse  and  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  but  as  time  passed  he  steadily  pros- 
pered, becoming  one  of  the  wealthiest  farm- 
ers and  stock-raisers  of  this  countv.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  one  thousand 
three  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  very  val- 
uable farming  land.  For  several  years  he 
shipped  stock  (|uite  extensively  and  was  also 
engaged  in  merchandising  for  a  number  of 
years. 

After  li\ing  alone  from  i84<S  until  1852, 
Mr.  Davis  decided  to  marry  and  on  the  4th 
of  February  of  that  latter  year  was  joined 
in  wedlock  with  Miss  Fdmonia  K.  llesser. 
bv  whom  he  had  six  children,  namely: 
iM-anklin  I'.,  now  deceased;  Sallie  M.,  the 
wife  of  b-.  Iv.  Mooney,  of  ]\Iount  Auburn 
townsbi]);  Charles  1^.,  a  druggist  of  Mount 
Auburn;  Henry  X.,  deceased;  Dial  W.,  also 
deceased;  and  Carrie  E.,  wife  of  William  L. 
Rasar,  of  Mount  Auburn  to\vn.ship.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  on  the  4tb  of 
July.  1864,  and  on  the  5th  of  May,  1867, 
Mr.  Davis  married  Iluldah  J.  Stobaugh. 
who  passed  away  about  two  weeks  prior  to 
her  husljand's  death.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage there  was  one  daughter,  Nellie  M. 


DIAL   DAVIS 


MRS.    DIAL  DAVIS 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


431 


After  a  useful  and  well  spent  life  Mr. 
Davis  died  at  his  home  in  Mount  Auburn, 
February  15,  1902,  honored  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  funeral  was 
conducted  by  Rev.  Sutherland,  of  Latham, 
Logan  county,  Illinois.  Mr.  Davis  always 
took  an  actixe  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
never  withheld  his  support  from  an}  enter- 
prise which  he  belie\'ed  would  promote  the 
general  w-elfare.  Lie  was  very  progressive 
and  favored  every  improvement  which  was 
calculated  to  advance  the  interests  >  of  his 
town  and  county.  He  gave  the  right  of  way 
to  railroads  and  electric  roads  and  induced 
others  to  do  the  same  and  in  order  to  get  a 
telephone  established  in  his  section  he  pur- 
chased all  the  stock.  The  Democi'atic  party 
always  found  in  him  a  stanch  supporter  of 
its  principles  and  he  was  (juite  active  in  po- 
litical affairs.  He  was  the  first  tax  collector 
of  Mount  Auburn  tv)wnship;  also  filled  the 
office  of  constable  in  his  younger  years;  and 
was  a  member  of  the  board  of  super\'isors 
when  the  county  ^^■as  di\'ided  into  town- 
ships. It  is  doubtful  if  any  one  was  more 
con\-ersant  witli  the  local  history  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country  than  Mr.  Davis.  He 
was  a  man  of  simiile  tastes,  approachable 
and  a  fiuent  talker,  and  had  a  way  of  mak- 
ing one  feel  at  home.  He  was  charitable 
almost  to  a  fault,  iiut  was  still  a  shrewd 
business  man  and  the  success  that  he 
achieved  in  life  was  due  entirely  to  his  own 
industrv,  nerseverance  and  good  manase- 
ment.  He  took  pleasure  in  promoting  any- 
thing that  would  advance  the  moral,  social 
or  material  welfare  of  the  community  in 
which  he  lived  and  took  a  special  interest  in 
education.  It  is  not  strange  therefore  that 
in  his  death  Christian  county  realized  that 
it  had  lost  a  valued  citizen  as  well  as  an  hon- 
ored pioneer. 


CHARLES  E.  DAVIS. 

For  the  past  twenty  years  Charles  E. 
Da\-is  has  been  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness in  Mt)unt  Aubu.rn  antl  he  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  that  class  of  citizens  vrho,  while 
achancing  individual  success,  also'  promote 
the  ])ublic  welfare.  A  nati\'e  of  Christian 
count}',  he  was  born  in  Mount  Auburn  town- 
ship, July  9,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Dial 
Davis,  wdiose  sketch  jirecedes  this.  Our  sul)- 
ject  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of 
his  county  and  here  grew  to  manhood.  In 
1888  he  embarked  in  the  drug  business  at 
Mount  Auburn  and  carried  on  a  store  there 
until  1893,  when  he  received  the  apponit- 
ment  of  United  States  Indian  agent  at  the 
Colorado  river  agency  in  Arizona  and  filled 
that  position  until  1897.  Returning  to 
Mount  Auburn  he  again  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  and  is  now  cniovino-  a  o-ood 
trade.  He  owns  the  store  in  which  he  car- 
ries on  business  and  also  a  good  residence 
here,  besides  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  in  Mount  Auburn  township. 
In  his  lousiness  undertakings  he  has  pros- 
pered and  lie  stands  high  in  commercial  cir- 
cles in  Christian  county. 

Mr.  Da^■is  was  married  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1883,  to  Miss  Alice  A.  Lusk,  who 
was  born  in  Meredosia,  Illinois,  March  31, 
1 86 1.  Her  father,  Edward  Lusk,  was  a 
nati\-e  of  Ohio,  born  at  Hudson,  Januarv  i, 
1812,  and  was  a  brother-in-law  of  fohn 
Brown.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Jane  A.  ^\ugur.  and  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut. June  30,  1830.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis 
ha\'e  two  children  :  Dial  Winifred,  born  Au- 
gust 14,  1891  ;  and  Eftie  Haldeen,  born 
March  8,  1894.  The  wife  and  mother  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  chuich 
and  is  a  most  estimable  lady. 

Socially  Mr.  Davis  is  connected  with 
Kedron  Lodge,  No.  340,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 


432 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Mount  Auluini;  Mystic  Lodge,  No.  64,  K. 
P.,  of  Tayldiville ;  drove  City  Lodge,  No. 
275,  L  O.  O.  F. ;  Mount  Auburn  Camp,  No. 
2849,  ^L  W.  A.;  the  District  Court  of 
Honor,  No.  923;  and  the  Anti-Iiorse  Thief 
Association,  liis  political  su])i)()rt  is  given 
the  nciudcratic  i)art}-  and  lie  filled  the  office 
of  towiishij)  collector  for  li\-e  years.  Ffe 
stands  high  in  Ixtth  business  and  social  cir- 
cles and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
and  representative  citizens  of  Mount  Au- 
burn. 


WILLIAM  L.  RASAR. 

William  L.  Rasar,  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  section  11,  Mount  Auburn  township,  is 
a  native  of  Logan  county,  Illinois,  born  at 
Mount  Pulaski,  January  5,  1858,  and  is  a 
son  of  Peter  and  Martha  (Dawson)  Rasar, 
who  were  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Indiana, 
respectively.  The  father  came  to  Illinois 
about  1855  and  in  the  fall  of  1867  became 
a  resident  of  llliopolis,  but  now  makes  his 
home  in  Newton,  Kansas,  where  he  is  living 
retired.  The  mother  of  our  sul)ject  died  on 
the  29th  of  March,  1900. 

William  L.  Ra.sar  completed  his  education 
in  the  high  scliool  of  llliopolis,  and  after 
IcaN'ing  school  he  wo!"ked  at  the  blacksmith's 
trade  from  the  age  of  sixteen  until  twenty- 
three  years  old.  lie  then  engaged  in  farm- 
ing upon  rented  lanil  for  eighteen  years  and 
now  operates  the  farm  belonging  to  his  wife, 
which  is  a  valuable  place  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Mount  Aul)urn  town- 
ship. 'Mr.  Rasar  has  placed  the  farm  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  has  made 
many  improvements  thereon,  including  the 
erection  in  1902  of  a  fine  barn,  fifty-six  feet 
square,  and  now^,  in  1903,  he  is  building  an 
elegant  twelve-room  modern  residence,  con- 
taining a  l)ath-room  and  to  be  heated  with 


hot  water,  lie  follows  both  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  with  good  success,  as 
he  thorougldy  understands  the  occupation 
which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life  work. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1880,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Rasar  and  Miss 
Carrie  E.  Davis,  a  daughter  of  Dial  Davis, 
\vhose  biography  a[)pears  elsewhere  in  this 
^■olume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rasar  have  become 
the  parents  of  eight  children  :  Fred  Dial, 
now  twenty-two  years  of  age;  Charles 
Claud,  tw^enty-one;  Carolee,  twenty;  Gro\er 
Cleveland,  eighteen ;  Brice  Davis,  eleven ; 
Corwin  AN'ilford,  eight;  Donald  Gradon, 
three;  and  Eloise  Edmonia,  six  months.  The 
family  are  connected  with  the  Christian 
church  and  are  people  of  prominence  in  the 
community  where  thev  reside. 

Socially  Mr.  Rasar  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Court  of  Honor,  all  of 
Mount  Auburn,  and  politically  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Democracy.  He  served  as 
collector  of  Mount  Aubiu.*n  towaiship  two 
terms,  from  1895  ^o  1898;  was  school  direc- 
tor of  the  Davis  school  for  fifteen  years;  and 
clerk  of  the  board  for  twelve  years.  He  has 
always  been  found  true  to  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him,  whether  jjublic  or  jM'ivate,  and 
he  merits  and  receives  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  all  who  know  him. 


E.  R.  MOONEY. 

E.  R.  ]\Iooney,  residing  on  section  11,  <| 
Mount  Auburn  township,  is  a  well  known 
contractor  and  builder,  as  well  as  farmer, 
of  whose  skill  manv  notable  examples  are 
seen  at  various  points  throughout  the 
county.  Thoroughly  reliable  in  all  things, 
the  ([ualitv  of  his  work  is  a  con\incing  test 
of  his  own  ])ersonal  worth  and  the  same  ad- 
mirable trait  is  shown  in  his  conscientious 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  different  positions 


W.   L.   RASAR 


MRS.  W.   L.   RASAR 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


437 


of  trust  and  responsibility  to  which  he  has 
l)een  chosen  in  Inisiness  and  poHtical  Hfe. 

Mr.  Mooney  was  born  August  i6,  1853, 
in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  of  which 
state  his  parents,  Whitson  \V.  and  Esther 
K.  (Smith)  Mooney,  were  also  natives. 
From  Pennsylvania  the  family  removed  to 
Newcastle,  Indiana,  where  the  father  died 
in  1863  and  the  mother  in  1886.  There  our 
subject  was  reared  and  educated  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  he  began  learning  the 
carpenter's  trade,  ^^■hich  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed with  good  success.  In  1874  he  came 
to  Christian  county,  Illinois,  and  has  since 
engaged  in  contracting  and  buildir.g,  being 
considered  one  of  the  leading  contractors  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  He  also  follows 
farming, -owning  and  operating  a  fine  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  one  mile 
west  of  Mount  Auburn,  where  he  resides. 

On  the  2ist  of  April,  1880,  Mr.  Mooney 
married  Miss  Sallie  Davis,  a  daughter  of 
Dial  Davis,  whose  biography  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mooney 
have  three  children:  Mabel  C,  at  home; 
Gladys  W.,  who  is  now  attending  the  Milli- 
kin  University  at  Decatur;  and  Ruth  M.,  at 
home.  The  mother  and  daughters  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church,  and  Mr. 
Mooney  is  connected  with  the  Court  of 
Honor.  He  served  as  supervisor  of  Mount 
Auburn  township  in  1889  and  has  also  filled 
the  office  of  township  collector  for  two 
terms.  He  stands  high  in  both  business  and 
social  circles  and  his  success  in  life  has  been 
worthily  achieved,  it  ha\'ing  been  gained 
entirely  through  his  own  well  directed  ef- 
forts. 


JOSEPH  COWAN. 

For  over  a  cjuarter  of  a  century  the  Cow  an 
family  have  been  numbered  among  the  hon- 
ored residents  of  Rosamond  township  and 


three  of  its  representatives  are  still  living  on 
the  old  homestead  on  section  12,  these  being 
Joseph,  Mary  and  Benjamin  F.  The  parents 
were  G.  W.  and  M.  E.  (Cochran)  Cowan, 
who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina  and 
were  of  Irish  descent,  though  their  ancestors 
came  to  America  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Joseph 
Cowan,  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Swan,  of 
Maryland,  and  to  them  were  born  twO'  chil- 
dren:  G.  W.,  the  father  of  our  subject: 
and  his  sister.  At  a  very  early  day  the 
father  left  his  native  state  and  removed  to 
Perry  county,  Missouri,  where  he  began 
working  by  the  day,  chopping  wood  at  forty 
cents  per  cord  and  boarding  himself.  In 
this  way  he  gained  a  start  in  life  and  was  at 
length  able  to  enter  a  tract  of  land  in  Perry 
county.  At  that  time  Appleton,  Missouri, 
which  was  twelve  miles  distant,  was  his  near- 
,  est  trading  point  and  there  he  had  to  go 
for  his  mail  also.  He  and  his  family  lived 
in  true  pioneer  style  and  underwent  many 
of  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to 
life  on  the  frontier.  In  those  day  he  raised 
his  owm  sheep  and  after  the  shearing  was 
done  his  wife,  with  the  aid  of  her  daughters, 
would  prepare  the  v/ool  and  do  the  carding-, 
spinning  and  knitting  for  her  household. 
Besides  the  cloth  used  for  clothing  she  made 
fancy  coverlets,  etc.  Miss  Mary  Cowan  has 
in  her  possession  a  coverlet  which  formerly 
belonged  to  her  grandmother  Cowan  and  has 
other  souvenirs  of  pioneer  days  which  she 
prizes  highly,  including  an  old  iron  kettle, 
which  the  family  took  from  North  Carolina 
on  their  removal  to  Missouri.  During  the 
boyhood  days  of  our  subject  all  of  the  cook- 
ing was  done  over  a  fireplace,  an  old  fash- 
ioned crane  being  used  to  hang  the  kettles 
on.  He  remembers  well  when  matches  first 
came  into  use  and  when  candles  were  the 
only  means  of  lighting  the  houses. 


438 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


After  li\ing"  in  ^Missouri  for  several  years, 
G.  W.  Cowan  brought  his  family  to  Illinois 
in  March.  1877.  and  located  on  section  12, 
Rosemond  township.  Christian  county,  where 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  th.roughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  Here  he  died  on 
tlie  5th  of  May,  1889,  '^^  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years,  honored  and  respected  by  all 
who  knew  him.  During-  his  younger  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Militia  in 
Perry  county,  Missouri,  and  he  always  took 
a  commendable  interest  in  pul)lic  affairs. 
His  estimable  wife  survived  him  a  number 
of  years,  dying  October  26,  1900,  when  she 
lacked  but  one  w  eek  of  being  seventy  years 
of  age. 

Unto  this  worthy  couple  w-ere  born  eleven 
children,  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  all 
{^f  whom  reached  maturity,  namely:  Jo- 
seph, whose  name  introduces  this  sketch; 
Isaac  and  William,  twins;  Mary,  who  is  now 
acting  as  housekeeper  for  her  brothers ; 
Marion,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-one 
years ;  Columbus ;  Emma,  wife  of  R.  A.  Bar- 
l)Our,  of  Perry  county,  Missouri ;  Jennie, 
wife  of  B.  I.  Van  Housen,  of  Meade  coun- 
ty, Kansas ;  A\'.  ^IcClelland,  who  married  a 
Miss  Horney  and  li\es  in  A\'ichita,  Kansas: 
Grant,  who  married  a  Aliss  McNamara  and 
resides  in  ^leade  county,  Kansas ;  and  Ben- 
jamin P.,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead. 

Joseph  Cowan  was  born  in  Perry  county, 
Missouri,  in  1848.  and  was  reared  amid 
pioneer  surroundings  on  a  farm  in  that  coun- 
ty. Upon  the  place  a  large  cottonwood  now 
stands  that  was  planted  by  the  father  many 
years  ago.  Our  subject  and  his  sister  Mary 
pursued  their  studies  in  a  log  cabin  school- 
house  furnished  in  a  primitive  manner  but 
later  she  went  to  school  in  a  frame  building. 
\\'hen  not  in  school  Mr.  Cowan  aided  in 
the  work  of  the  farm  and  used  to  ride  many 
miles  to  mill  to  have  feed  ground.     At  that 


time  there  were  no  commission  houses  in  St. 
Louis  and  all  of  the  produce  raised  on  the 
Cowan  farm  was  marketed  at  Appleton, 
Missouri,  'riiex  cut  the  grain  with  a  cradle 
and  cultixated  tlie  corn  with  a  single  shovel 
plow.  After  coming  to  Christian  county,  Il- 
linois, Joseph  Cowan  assisted  in  the  develop- 
ment of  their  new  farm  in  Rosemond  town- 
ship, consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixt} 
acres,  and  he  bnjke  man}-  an  acre  of  wild 
prairie  land,  which  he  has  since  transformed 
into  a  fine  farm.  He  is  successfully  engage-_l 
in  general  farming  and  stock-raising  in  con- 
nection with  his  brother.  Benjamin  F.,  and 
they  have  Shire  and  Norman  horses  and  a 
good  grade  of  cattle  and  hogs  up(,^n  their 
])lace.  Being  good  practical  agriculturists 
and  reliable  and  trustworthy  in  business,  they 
have  prospered  in  their  undertakings  and 
are  ranked  among  the  substantial  citizens  of 
the  communit}'.  'I'heir  Ikmuc  is  pleasantl}' 
located  three  miles  north  of  the  \-i]lag"e  of 
Rosemond. 


^IRS.   CHARLES  BEAULIEU. 

]Mrs.  Charles  Beaulieu,  a  well  known  resi- 
dent of  Assumption,  is  a  native  of  \\^est 
Virginia  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Caroline  Long,  who  were  also  born  in  th:;t 
state.  There  the  father  carried  on  general 
farming  until  the  Civil  war,  when  in  1864 
he  brought  his  family  to  Illinois  and  settled 
in  Christian  county  upon  the  Ennis  farm  on 
section  3,  Assumption  township.  Here  he 
became  the  ow'uer  of  a  half  section  of  land. 
which  was  recently  sold,  the  profit  to  be  di- 
vided among  his  heirs.  Here  he  and  his 
\\ife  worked  early  and  late  to  improve  the 
farm  and  thev  soon  made  it  one  of  the  most 
desirable  places  of  the  township.  Mrs.  Long 
often  assisted  her  husband  in  the  fields,  drop- 
ping corn  and  doing  other  outdoor  work  be- 


CHRISTIAN  ("OUNT^^    IIJJNOIS. 


439 


sides  Ikt  liduscliuld  dutic'S.  Main'  lunirs 
each  da\'  were  dcN'oted  lit  s])iniiin!^'  and  in 
llie  I'aniiK'  are  still  a  number  of  coverlets 
and  blankets  wbicli  she  and  her  mother 
\\()\e.  The  boys  then  wore  jeans  and  the 
dresses  of  the  girls  were  made  of  linsey  wool- 
sey.  No  stoves  were  then  in  use  in  West 
Virginia  and  the  bouses  \\ere  lighted  1)y 
a  grease  lamp  which  hung  in  the  chimney 
corner.  Later,  di]3ped  candles  came  into  use 
and  were  afterward  replaced  by  molded  cMies. 
Cooking  A\as  done  o\'er  an  old  fashioned 
fireplace,  the  kettle  being  hung  on  a  crane. 
Most  of  the  baking  A\as  dcMie  either  in  a 
skillet  or  a  Dutch  oven.  wSettlements  Avere 
then  widely  scattered  and  the  Long  family 
walked  from  three  to  four  miles  to  attend 
church.  On  coming  to  Illinois  they  found 
Christian  county  largely  wild  and  unim- 
proved, much  of  the  land  being  under  water, 
and  the}'  underwent  many  of  the  hardships 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life.  Ducks, 
geese,  brants  and  prairie  chickens  were  to 
be  had  in  abundance  and  furnished  the  early 
settlers  with  much  of  the  meat  which  they 
used.  After  a  useful  and  well  spent  life  IMr. 
Long  passed  away  June  21,  1903,  in  his 
eightieth  year  and  the  funeral  sermon  A\as 
preached  Ijy  Rev.  Strain,  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Assumption.  His  wife, 
who  is  the  oldest  in  a  family  of  four  chil- 
dren and  the  only  sur\-ivor,  is  now  in  b.er 
seventieth  year.  She  has  lieen  a  hard  \\-ork- 
er,'has  passed  through  many  trying  ordeals 
in  sickness  and  death,  and  is  loved  and  re- 
spected by  all  who  knc^w  her.  She  is  the 
mother  of  fourteen  children,  but  five  died  in 
West  Virginia  and  four  in  this  county. 
Those  still  lixing  are  Margaret,  now  IVIrs. 
Reanlieu:  Andrew  S.,  who  is  married  ;ind 
living  in  Fort  Madison,  Iowa:  Mrs.  Ponder, 
who  lives  on  the  home  farm  in  i\ssumption 
townshii);  Charles,  who  is  also  married  and 


H\ing  in  Assumption  townslhp  on  Ihc  old 
home  i)lace;  and  Luella,  wife  of  Waller  Mc- 
Donald, of  Assumi)tion. 

Mrs.  Beanlien  was  reared  and  educated 
in  her  native  state,  her  girlhood  being  passed 
on  a  farm.  A\dien  a  }'oung  w'oman  she  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  Albert  W^oodruff, 
by  whom  she  had  four  children,  namely: 
Leonora,  who  married  and  died  in  Spencer, 
Iowa,  at  the  birth  oi  her  child  who  is  still 
]i\ing:  Charles  H.,  a  physician  now  living 
in  Texas:  Mrs.  Mimiie  Dodson,  a  resident 
of  Iowa:  and  Annie,  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  husband  and  father  died  in  Cdiicaeo  in 
1893  '^"^^^  Mvs.  Woodruff  subsequently  mar- 
ried Charles  Beaulieu.  There  were  three 
children  born  of  this  union:  Hattie,  now- 
deceased  :  and  Iowa  atid  Orville,  who  are  still 
living.  Mrs.  Beaulieu  is  an  earnest  mem- 
lier  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  a,n<l 
is  a  most  estimable  lady,  having  a  wide  cir- 
cle of  friends  and  acquaintances  in  the  coun- 
ty where  she  has  so  long  made  her  honie. 


A.  J.  JOHNSON. 

N(j  l)etter  illustration  of  the  characteristic 
energy  and  enterprise  of  the  typical  Swedish- 
American  citizen  can  be  found  than  that  af- 
forded by  the  career  of  this  gentleman,  who 
is  now  so  successfully  engaged  in  the  stock 
Ijusiness  in  Bear  Creek  township,  liis  place 
l)eing  pleasantly  located  on  section  4  near 
the  village  of  Palmer.  He  was  born  in  Sma- 
land,  Sw-eden,  March  11,  1849.  '^i'"^^  is  a  sr)n 
of  Jonas  and  Mary  Johanas  Johnson,  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  country,  wdiere 
the  father  follow^ ed  farming  as  a  life  work. 
He  died  about  1886,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  on  the  loth  of  May,  1903. 

j\Ir.  Johnson,  of  this  review,  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  land  and  remained  at 
home,'  aiding  his  father  in  the  w'ork  of  the 


440 


PAST  AND  i'Ki-:si-:Nr 


farm,  until  twenty  years  of  as^c.  \\  lien  l:is 
father  i^a\e  liini  luone}'  w  itli  w  liieh  tn  pa}'  his 
passaj^e  to  America.  It  was  in  the  spring-  of 
i86g  that  he  landed  in  the  new  world  and 
at  once  made  his  way  to  Christian  connt\', 
Illinois.  His  iirst  employment  was  on  the 
railroad,  wdiere  he  worked  for  four  months, 
and  then  entered  the  service  of  J-  ^^-  Sim])- 
sou.  in  whose  employ  he  remaineil  lor  ten 
rears,  workinj.;-  at  farm  lahor.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  he.^an  farming  for  himself 
upon  rented  land  and  in  1888  ])urchased 
thirt\-  acres  of  land  near  Palmer.  For  some 
years  he  has  engaged  in  the  breeding-  of 
Poland  C'hina  hogs  and  now  has  some  yery 
fine  specimens  of  that  stock  upon  his  farm. 
He  also  raises,  buys  and  sells  mules  and  is 
also  engaged  in  breeding  those  animals.  He 
owns  two  iacks,  one  named  King  Torn,  and 
the  other  Xa]ioleon.  and  King  Torn  won  the 
first  jM'emium  in  his  class  and  also  sweep 
stakes  at  the  State  Fair  in  1903.  Some  of 
his  stock  he  intends  to  ])lace  on  exhibition 
at  the  World's  Fair  in  St.  Louis  in  1904. 
His  specialty  in  cattle  is  shorthorns  and 
he  feeds  more  stock  for  market  than  any 
other  man  in  Bear  Creek  township. 

In  1875  Air.  Johnson  wedded  Miss  Mary 
Ann  ATarshall.  bv  whom  he  had  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Charles,  who  married  Anna 
Marie  Grauer,  a  daughter  of  Conrad  Grauer, 
and  lives  in  Palmer;  John  and  Ida  Lerena ; 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Johnson 
was  again  married  September  13,  1887,  b.is 
second  union  being  with  Martha  Whitworth. 
Her  father,  Thomas  Whitworth,  was  a  na- 
tiye  of  Kentucky  and  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Macoupin  county,  Illinois. 

In  religious  faith  ~S\y.  Johnson  is  a  Pres- 
byterian, lioth  he  and  his  wife  I)eing  mem- 
bers of  that  church,  ;uid  in  his  social  rela- 
tions he  is  connected  with  Morrisonyille 
Lodge,  No.  358,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Palmer 


Lodge.  Xo.  501,  I.  ().  O.  I"".,  of  Palmer;  and 
Ihu-r  Oak  Camp,  No.  353,  M.  W.  A.,  of  the 
same  place.  Politically  he  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican and  takes  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  altliough  he  cares  nothing  for  official 
honor.  He  has  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner and  township  treasurer  and  always 
gi\es  an  acti\'e  sujjpm't  to  all  measures  which 
he  believes  calculated  to  adv;mce  the  moral, 
social  or  material  welfare  of  his  towuiship 
rmd  county. 


FRANK  RFED. 


Frank  Reed,  of  the  Breeze  Printing  Com- 
])any  of  Ta)-lorville,  was  born  in  that  city 
on  the  1 2th  of  July,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Mary  C.  ( ^^'ill )  Reed,  who  were 
born  of  German  parents  near  the  Separatists 
Society  near  Zoar,  Ohio,  in  1836  and  1838, 
respectivel}'.  They  were  married  there  and 
in  1857  came  to  Taylorville,  Illinois,  where 
the  father  worked  at  shoemaking,  making 
regular  trips  oyer  the  prairie  on  horseback  to 
Mount  Auburn,  where  he  also  plied  his 
trade,  waiting  for  approaching  civilization 
to  determine  his  ])ermanent  location.  He 
early  decided  on  Tayloryille,  howeyer,  and 
conducted  a  shoe  store  on  the  west  side  of 
the  s(|uare  until  his  death  in  1893  He  was 
known  as  the  "pioneer  shoe  dealer"  and  also 
ran  a  harness  shop.  He  was  reared  a  Demo- 
crat but  twice  yoted  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
the  Rejniblican  candidate,  and  later  became 
a  ( ireenbacker.  Knight  of  Labor  and  Pojni- 
list,  fre(|uently  lending  his  name  as  a  can- 
didate to  make  u])  a  ticket  in  this  county, 
lie  is  sur\i\-ed  b_\-  his  widow  and  live  sons: 
Jesse  B.,  Orlando  ^^^,  Ellsworth  E.,  Frank 
and  AFanfred  C. 

Frank  Reed  received  a  common-school 
education  at  the  \\'est  ward,  attending  regu- 
larly during  school  months  and  doing  what 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


441 


little  work  his  father  could  get  out  of  him 
in  the  harness  shop  during  vacations. 
Rather  than  milk  a  kicking  cow  he  walked 
to  Blue  Mound  in  the  summer  of  1889  and 
worked  for  a  harnessmaker  there.  Return- 
ing to  Tavlorville  in  the  fall,  he  entered  the 
law  office  of  J.  C.  McBride  as  a  student  on 
the  2d  of  Septemher  and  passed  the  exam- 
ination before  the  appellate  court  at  Spring- 
field May  19,  1892,  but  not  being  of  age  he 
was  not  admitted  to  the  bar  until  the  meet- 
ing of  the  supreme  court  in  January,  1893. 
He  then  began  the  practice  of  law  and  won 
his  only  case  in  the  circuit  court,  after  which 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  H.  Kelly, 
a  practical  printer,  and  purchased  the  Tay- 
lorville  Daily  Nczcs,  then  on  the  verge  of 
bankruptcy,  by  assuming  a  multitude  of 
debts.'  This  was  April  30  ,1894,  and  on  the 
15th  of  May,  following,  the  name  of  the 
paper  was  changed  to  The  Daily  Breeze,  the 
Weekly  Breeze  following  on  October  14  of 
the  same  year.  Since  that  time  the  history 
of  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Breeze  is  too  well 
known  'in  Christian  count}^  to  need  mention 
here,  as  is  the  history  of  Frank  Reed,  wdio 
has  constantly  been  connected  with  these 
publications. 


CHARLEY  R.  OSBERN. 

One  of  the  most  progressive  and  success- 
ful agriculturists  of  Christian  county  is 
Charley  R.  Osbern,  for  whom  the  village  of 
Osbernville  is  named.  He  is  the  owner  of 
a  large  and  valuable  farm  in  Mosquito  town- 
ship, his  home  being  on  section  10.  and  his 
methods  of  farm  management  show  deep, 
scientific  knowledge  combined  with  sound, 
practical  judgment. 

Throughout  life  Mr.  Osbern  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Moscjuito  township  on  the  25th  of 


November,  1865.  His  parents,  Robert  B. 
and  Phoebe  Osbern,  were  natives  of  Ten- 
nessee but  came  to  Illinois  in  pioneer  days, 
the  father  being  one  of  the  very  earliest 
settlers  of  Christian  county,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  in  1879.    The  mother  died  in  1883. 

Reared  upon  a  farm  Charley  R.  Osbern 
early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties 
which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist  and 
his  literary  education  was  acquired  in  tlie 
district  schools  near  his  boyhood  home.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  commenced 
farming  for  himself  on  the  old  home  place 
and  has  since  followed  that  occupation  with 
marked  success.  Lie  is  now  the  owner  of 
eight  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land, 
which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  improved  with  a  fine  set  of 
farm  buildings.  About  1901  the  town  of 
Osbernville  was  laid  out  upon  his  farm  and 
named  in  his  honor.  He  lias  done  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  interests  and  mainly 
through  his  efforts  it  has  become  a  large 
grain  and  stock  shipping  point.  Mr.  Os- 
bern is  a  very  wide-awake,  energetic  and 
progressive  business  man  and  his  sound  judg- 
ment and  keen  discrimination  have  enabled 
him  to  attain  a  prominent  place  in  business 
circles. 

In  1885  ^'^1"-  Osbern  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  E.  Bottrell,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Bottrell,  who  was  born  in  Ens'- 
land  and  on  coming  to  America  settled  in 
Christian  county  at  an  early  day  in  its  de- 
velopment. Three  children  bless  this  union, 
Ethel  G.,  Robert  D.  and  Laura,  all  at  home. 
In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Osbern  is  a 
Democrat  and  he  takes  a  deep  and  commend- 
able interest  in  pul)lic  affairs.  Lie  stands 
high  in  the  community  where  he  has  so  long 
made  his  home  and  he  has  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 


412 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


W  ll.l.l  \M  S\\  IM. 

I*"nn\-l\\()  vears  lia\c  conic  and  ^nnc 
since  this  i^entlcnian  arrived  in  C  Inastian 
counlv  and  he  is  justly  numhered  anmnL;'  her 
honored  early  settlers  and  leading;-  citizens. 
He  has  heen  prominently  identified  with  her 
ac'ricultural  and  husiness  interests,  and  al- 
thoni;h  now  in  his  eighty-ninth  year  he  is 
still  eni^aj^ed  in  the  grocery  husiness  at 
Pana.  Old  age  is  not  necessarily  a  synonym 
ot  weakness  and  inactixity.  It  needs  not 
suo-o-est.  as  a  matter  of  course.'  want  of  oc- 
cupation  or  heli)lessness.  There  is  an  old 
age  that  is  a  benediction  to  ;dl  that  come 
in  contact  with  it.  that  gi\es  out  of  its  rich- 
est stores  of  learning  and  exi)erience,  and 
<>ro\vs  stroni'er  as  th.e  vears  pass.  Such  is 
the  life  of  ^Ir.  Swim,  an  encouragement  to 
his  associates  and  an  example  well  worth)' 
of  emulation  to  the  voung. 

Mr.  Swim  \\as  liorn  in  Kentuck}-,  August 
30.  181s,  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Eunice 
(  ]^Ia(ldox)  Swim,  who  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee,  respectively.  He  is 
the  oldest  of  their  eight  children  and  the 
only  sur\i\-or.  He  -^Aas  horn  in  a  log  cabin, 
reared  upon  a  farm  and  educated  in  an  old 
log"  schoolhouse.  In  earlv  manhood  he  was 
married  at  Batavia,  Ohio,  to  ]\Iiss  Rachel 
Hill,  who  was  born  in  that  state.  Alarch  8. 
1817.  Her  father.  Rev.  John  ETill,  was  an 
old-time  circuit  rider  whose  salarv  amounted 
to  onl\'  two  hundred  dollars  a  year. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Swim  removed  to 
Cincinnati.  Ohio,  to  accept  a  position  that 
liad  been  offered  him  as  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store,  having  ])reviously  had  some  expe- 
rience in  a  Country  store.  Later  he  em- 
barke<l  in  business  on  his  own  account  as  a 
wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  grcx^eries  and 
remained  a  resident  of  Cincinnati  for  alx^ut 
fourteen  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
removed  to  Pike  ci')nnty,  Illinois,  making  the 


)<iurnc\  b\  wagon  and  camping  ovil  along 
the  wa\  at  night.  The  trip  occupied  about 
three  weeks. 

It  was  in  1862  that  .\lr.  Swim  came  to 
Christian  county  and  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twentv  acres  of  raw  prairie  land 
on  I'.nckeyc  Prairie  from  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  at  ten  dollars  per  acre. 
This  was  bousfht  on  seven  vears"  time  at  six 
lier  cent,  interest.  Although  he  paid  none 
(if  the  i)rincii)al  for  tour  years  he  was  able 
to  ])av  one-fourth  of  the  amount  at  the  end 
cif  that  time.  He  feels  very  grateful  to  the 
company  for  the  kind  way  in  \vhich  they 
treated  him  <as  he  was  unalile  to  make  the 
last  payment  at  the  specified  time  and  they 
extended  th.e  time  f(^r  him.  although  they 
could  have  taken  the  property.  A  few- 
months  later  he  met  his  obligation  and  re- 
ceived his  deed  to  the  land.  Many  families 
secured  good  farms  in  that  way.  ^luch  of 
\\v.  Swim's  land  was  under  water,  the  ponds 
and  sloughs  being  often  so  deej)  tliat  a  horse 
would  h.ave  to  swip-i  across.  \\'ild  game, 
especially  cranes,  were  numerous  and  the 
stock  had  to  be  penned  up  at  night  to  keep 
them  from  the  wolves.  ]\Ir.  Swim  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his 
farm  in  Rosamontl  township  until  1881. 
making  it  so  valuable  that  it  is  now  worth 
o:ie  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  His  Avife 
being  in  poor  healih,  he  left  the  farm  in 
1881  and  removed  to  Pana.  where  she  died 
on  the  14th  of  Sejitember.  i8()i,  at  the  age 
of  seventv-four  years  six  months  and  six 
davs.  She  had  been  a  devout  and  consistent 
member  of  the  ^Methodist  Episcopal  church 
for  over  sixty  vears  and  was  a  faithful  and 
lo\ing  wife  and  mother.  Her  funeral  ser- 
mon was  delixered  by  Rev.  Orr. 

(^n  his  removal  to  Pana  Mr.  Swim  em- 
b.'irked  in  the  coal  business  and  was  the  first 
to   introduce  hard  coal  into  the  town.      In 


WILLIAM  SWIM,   HIS  SON.  GRANDSON  AND  GREAT-GRANDSON 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


445 


i(S(j2  lie  attain  turned  iiis  attention  to  the 
i^Tocerv  trade,  openint;'  a  store  on  South  Lo- 
cust street  In  ])artnershi])  with  his  youngest 
son.  Although  now  in  his  eighty-ninth 
}'ear  he  arises  every  morning  at  five  o'clock 
and  walks  to  the  store,  a  distance  of  five 
blocks. 

Unto  Mr.  and  j\lrs.  Swim  were  horn  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Catharine,  born  June 
8,  1838,  was  married  August  17,  1856.  to 
Thomas  P.  Clark,  now  a  resident  of  Spring- 
field, Illinois.  Louisa,  ])orn  June  27,  1840, 
was  married  Se]:)tember  2t,,  1848.  to  James 
McCune,  a  resident  of  Louisiana.  Missouri. 
Annie,  born  October  12,  1842,  was  married 
October  8,  i860,  to  John  A.  McElroy,  who 
is  now  living  in  Chicago.  W.  Henry  Har- 
risou,  born  May  i,  1844,  was  married  Sep- 
tember 7,  1867,  to  Ellen  Hartor.  Mary, 
born  June  23,  1846,  was  married  October 
26,  1864,  to  Elijah  (iimlin.  John  Ouincy, 
l)orn  May  30,  1848,  was  married  April  2, 
1871,  tO'  Flora  J.  Rosenbury  and  is  now  a  re- 
tired Methodist  Episcopal  minister  li\'ing  in 
Texas.  George  A.,  born  August  4,  1850, 
was  married  Eebruary  27,,  1876,  to'  Eunice 
Kimball.  Edward  Stickney,  born  March 
30,  1855,  was  married  October  8,  1876,  to 
Josephin.e  Kimball  and  is  now  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business  with  his  father  at  Pana. 

In  September,  1887,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swim 
celelirated  their  golden  wedding,  the  cere- 
monies being  conducted  by  Re\'.  C.  P.  Bald- 
win, assisted  by  Rev.  C.  (ialener.  A  very 
happy  evening  was  spent  a.nd  the  couj^le  re- 
ceived a  nu.mber  of  valuable  presents,  in- 
cluding two  pairs  of  gold  spectacles  and  a 
siKer  cake  basket.  ,\  family  reunion  ^\■as 
held  July  16,  1902,  at  which  time  Rev.  M. 
G.  Coleman  was  present  and  in  behalf  of  the 
children  presented  Air.  Swim  with  a  fine 
Morris  chair.  He  has  a  group  picture  of 
forty-one,  representing  five  generations  of 
23 


the  lamilw  He  has  had  fort\-oue  grand- 
children,  thirty-six  of  whom  are  ^till  living, 
and  he  also  had  nineteen  great-grandchildren 
and  one  great-great-grandchild — Nellie  Har- 
rison, of  Springfield. 

Mr.  Swim  has  recently  sold  his  l"arm  and 
town  property.  He  cast  his  first  \ote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  the  ninth  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  1856  has  voted  at  each  presiden- 
tial election  since  that  time.  He  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Republican  i)arty  and  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs. 
At  the  last  election  he  had  fourteen  grand- 
sons who  voted  the  same  ticket,  as  did  also 
their  seven  fathers.  Eor  over  fifty-two 
years  he  has  been  a  faithful  and  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  building  committee  and  a  trustee 
of  the  first  church  built  on  Buckeye  Prairie. 
He  also  assisted  in  raising  the  old  Buckeye 
school,  there  being  none  in  that  locality  when 
he  settled  there.  Pie  brought  the  first  sew- 
ing machine  into  the  commmiit)'  and  in  early 
life  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive men  of  Rosamond  township.  Mr. 
Swim  can  relate  many  interesting  incidents 
of  i)ioneer  days  when  his  mcjther  used  to 
si)in  and  weave  all  the  cloth  to  be  converted 
int(j  clothes  for  her  familv  and  when  the 
shoemaker  used  to  come  round  on.ce  a  year 
to  make  their  Christmas  shoes,  which  were 
highly  i)rized  and  kept  only  for  state  occa- 
sions. Durino-  his  boyhood  he  hoed  corn 
for  twehe  and  a  half  cents  per  day  and  used 
to  cut  grain  with  a  sickle  and  later  with  a 
cradle.  When  his  daughters  became  old 
enouph  thev  used  to  assist  him  in  the  thresh- 
Ing,  i)lanting  and  gathering  of  corn,  and  now 
two  of  his  sons  follow  in  his  footsteps,  being 
successful  farmers.  Bright  and  active  in 
both  mind  and  Ixxl}',  Mr.  Swim  appears 
much  younger  for  nature  deals  kindly  w'ith 


440 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


llic  man  whn  aluiscs  iKil  \\vr  laws,  and  liis 
Ilk'  lias  t'\'v.M"  liccn  such  as  td  Cdiiiniand  the 
rcs])cet  and  esteem  nf  thuse  with  w  Imm  lie 
lias  heen  hrdUi^iit  in  contact  either  in  hiisi- 
ness  or  social  relations. 


Tl TOBIAS  A\'.   r, RENTS. 

'Idiomas  A\'.  Brents,  who  is  identified  with 
agricultural  interests  in  Christian  count}-  and 
is  now  ser\ing  as  sheriff,  is  one  of  the  na- 
tive sons  of  this  county,  horn  April  7,  1857, 
his  parents  1)eing  Samuel  and  Caroline  (Kel- 
ler) Brents.  The  father  of  our  suhject  was 
long  a  resident  of  Christian  county,  where 
he  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  i)ur- 
suits.  He  had  a  brother  William  w  ho  served 
as  sheriff  in  this  county.  The  Brents  were 
the  second  or  third  family  to  settle  in  Chris- 
tian county,  the  famil\-  home  being  estab- 
lished here  about  1820,  l)y  Mrs.  Brents,  tbe 
grandmother  of  our  subject,  who  ^vas  then 
a  widow,  and  who  on  her  remcn'al  was  ac- 
companied by  her  sons.  William,  John, 
Moses,  Simeon  and  Thomas.  The  father  of 
our  subject  has  now  ])assed  awa3%  l)ut  tbe 
mother  is  still  li\ing  and  there  is  also  a 
.sister,  Lydia,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  H.  M. 
Langiey. 

Thomas  W.  Brents  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  and  has  followed  agriculturaf 
Ijursuits  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his 
life.  lie  was  educated  in  the  ])ublic  schools 
of  bis  native  township  and  in  1878  started 
out  upon  an  independent  business  career  as 
a  farmer  of  Taylorville  township.  In  1880 
be  was  injured  in  a  cyclone  which  passed 
over  this  locality  and  was  thus  incapacitated 
for  bard  manual  labor,  Init  he  has,  neverthe- 
less, sujierintended  bis  farming  interests  and 
has  taken  a  justifiable  pride  in  keeping  his 
farm  in  tbe  best  condition  possible.  Tbe 
kmd   is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 


tion and  suhstantial  buildings  bax'e  been 
erected  n])on  the  jjlace  which  is  now  su])plie(l 
with  modern  e([uipments.  I  lis  land  is  lo- 
cated on  sections  17  and  20.  Taylorville 
townshii)  and  comprises  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres,  which  are  rich  and  productive. 

In  1878  Mr.  Brents  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Martha  A.  Eangley,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  P.  and  Irene  Langiey  of  this 
county.  They  now  bave  one  son,  Homer. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Brents  is  a  Demo- 
crat, having  always  given  his  support  to 
tbe  part3^  He  served  as  assistant  superxisor 
to  a  Republican  supervisor  and  was  elected 
for  three  successive  terms  to  that  position. 
In  1898  he  was  a  can.didate  before  his  party 
convention  for  tbe  nomination  of  sheriff  but 
was  defeated  by  Thomas  Downey.  In  April, 
1902,  however,  he  was  nominated  and  w-as 
elected  by  a  fair  majority  over  Samuel  Win- 
ters, a  Republican  candidate.  He  makes  an 
efficient  officer,  being  fearless  and  prompt  in 
tbe  discharge  of  bis  duties.  He  is  cordial 
and  genial  in  manner  and  has  thus  won  many 
warm  friends.  His  entire  life  has  been 
])assed  in  Christian  county  and  as  those  who 
bave  known  him  from  boyhood  are  num- 
Ijered  among  his  warmest  friends  it  is  an 
indication  that  his  has  been  an  upright,  hon- 
orable career. 


J.   WILL  SMITH. 

J.  \\'ill  Smith  is  one  of  the  oldest  repre- 
sentatives of  l)usiness  iiuerests  of  Pana, 
when  the  term  of  connection  with,  tratle  cir- 
cles here  is  considered.  He  is  now  dealing 
in  men's  furnishing  goods  and  sb.oes,  and. 
carrying  a  good  stock,  meets  with  a  ready 
sale,  on  which  be  makes  a  reasonable  profit. 
Realizing  that  there  is  no  royal  road  to 
wealth  be  has  labored  indefatigably  and 
earnestly  and  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous 
merchants  <)f  the  citv. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


44: 


Mr.  Siiiitli  is  a  native  of  Montgomery 
comity,  Illinois,  born  in  1861,  his  parents 
he'mg  Stephen  M.  and  Nancy  Smith.  The 
father  was  born  in  Ohio  and  in  1848  came 
to  Ilhnois,  where  he  first  followed  the  oc- 
cnjjation  of  farming'.  About  forty-one  years 
ago,  however,  he  al>andoned  the  plow  and 
removed  to  Pana.  where  he  embarked  in 
the  dry-goods  business,  soon  winning  for 
liimself  a  place  among  the  foremost  mer- 
chants of  the  city.  Active  and  influential  in 
public  affairs,  he  left  the  impress  of  his  in- 
dividuality upon  public  thought  and  feeling. 
He  w^as  one  of  the  delegates  sent  to  secure 
the  Iniilding  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
through  this  ])lace  and  was  always  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  town  and 
the  work  of  pul:)]ic  progress  and  advance- 
ment along  the  lines  of  modern  civilization. 
His  political  support  was  given  the  Repul:»- 
lican  party.  His  death  occurred  January  22, 
1898. 

J.  Will  Smith  was  but  a  boy  when  brought 
to  Pana  and  in  this  city  he  was  reared,  his 
education  being  acquired  in  its  public 
schools.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  be- 
gan clerking  for  G.  V.  Penwell,  and  thus 
became  familiar  with  mercantile  methods. 
After  several  years'  experience  in  commer- 
cial pursuits,  he  began  business  on  his  own 
account  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Conklin 
&  Smith,  dealers  in  clothing,  men's  furnish- 
ing goods,  boots  and  shoes.  After  a  few 
\ears  Mr.  Smith  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest and  for  twenty-six  years  has  carried 
on  business  alone.  He  now  carries  a  large 
and  well  selected  line  of  men's  furnishing 
goods  and  shoes,  and  his  business  methods 
have  commended  him  to  the  ])ublic  confi- 
dence. He  not  only  desires  to  please  his 
l)atrons,  l)ut  is  systematic  and  reliable  in  ;tll 
that  he  does,  and  thus  has  secvu'ed  the  con- 
fidence of  all  with  whom   he  has  business 


dealings.  Associated  with  other  eriterpris- 
ing  business  men  he  built  the  opera  house 
of  Pana  and  became  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany. Later  he  purchased  his  ]jartners'  in- 
terests and  was  its  manager  for  two  years,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  he  sold  out.  He  owns 
considerable  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Pana  and 
also  has  farming  interests  in  Shelby,  Fayette 
and  Montgomery  counties. 

In  1884  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Smith  and  Miss  Emma  D.  Hauck,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Hauck,  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1901  and  she  left  one 
child  ;  Marie  Carretta.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Elks  fraternity  of  Slielbyville, 
and  in  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. His  interest  in  public  affairs  has  not 
been  manifest  through  a  desire  for  oi^ce, 
but  through  earnest  and  effective  co-opera- 
tion in  measures  for  the  general  good  and 
the  progress  of  his  city.  He  has  long  been 
a  resident  of  Pana  and  his  stanchest  friends 
are  those  who  have  known  him  for  the  great- 
est length  of  time,  a  fact  which  indicates  an 
honoral)le  and  upright  career. 


ARTHUR  BURTON  KIRK. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  Buckhart  township  is  Ar- 
thur B.  Kirk,  who  was  born  August  3,  1864^- 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  and  has 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Christian  county.  His 
parents  were  Henry  and  Hannah  Kirk.  By 
occupation  his  father  was  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser.  During  his  boyhood  and  youth 
our  subject  acquired  a  good  practical  educa- 
tion in  the  district  school  near  his  honne 
and  he  early  became  familiar  with  the  work 
of  the  farm.  He  has  continued  to  actively 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the 
present  time  but  for  the  past  two  years  has 
devoted  considerable  attention  to  the  selling 


44S 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


of  pumps  ai'd  t(i  ihc  plunibiiii^  business,  i  Ic 
deals  in  all  kinds  of  i^odds  aldnt^'  that  line 
and  has  built  up  an  cxtcusixe  trade  in  Peters 
d()iil)le  cylinder  force  i)unips.  wlncli  j;i\e  the 
utmost  satisfaction.  A  custduier  i>nce  se- 
cured is  always  sure  to  j^ixe  liim  further 
patroua^'c  when  an\thin!^'  in  his  line  is  de- 
sired. In  1903  he  sold  iifty-two  i)umps. 
which  was  one  for  each  A\eck.  and  so  far  this 
year  (in  1904)  his  sales  ha\e  lieeu  almost 
doulile  that  amount.  \\'ide-awake  and  en- 
ergetic he  has  met  with  good  success  in  this 
undertakiu.g  and  in  business  circles  is  re- 
garded as  a  most  reliable  and  strr.ightfor- 
ward  man. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1889.  'Mv.  Kirk 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  Sad- 
ler, the  ceremony  being  performed  at  the 
home  of  her  father.  Samuel  J.  Sadler,  near 
(irove  City.  Two  children  were  born  to 
them.  I\uth  and  Hobart.  hut  the  latter  died 
in  infancy.  Ruth  was  born  July  28,  1893. 
and  on  the  9th  of  January.  1903,  they  adopt- 
ed a  little  girl  three  years  old  who  l>ears 
the  name  of  ivlildred  Kirk.  The  family 
stands  high  in  the  community  where  they 
make  their  hduie.  Jn  his  political  \iews  ^\v. 
Kirk  is  an  ardent  Republican.  On  the  27th 
of  March.  1888,  he  was  made  a  Mason  at 
Fisher  Lodge.  Xo.  585.  A.  !-.  &  A.  Af..  of 
Grove  City,  with  which  he  still  hold  member- 
ship, and  since  October.  1882.  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Christian  church  at  Edin- 
burg.  Illinois. 


JOSEPH  S.  WTLSOX. 

Joseph  S.  Wilson,  the  well  known  station 
agent  at  Morrisonville  and  one  of  the  ]M'om- 
inent  citizens  of  that  place,  was  born  in  U'in- 
chester,  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  August.  1850, 
and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  ^^Mlliam  H.  Wilson,  a 
])h\sician  and  a  noted  Whig,  who  once  en- 


tertained Tresidcnt  Lincoln  at  a  batic(uet. 
The  earl\-  life  of  <iur  subject  was  i)assed  in 
a  rathei'  unexentful  manner  u])<)n  the  home 
farm  until  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  Earl)- 
in  th.e  spring  of  1864  he  enlisted  as  a  musi- 
cian in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was  or- 
dered to  ]\Iemphis.  Tennessee,  to  do  guard 
dut\-  around  that  city.  During  the  middle 
of  the  following  summer  the  rebel  general. 
l'^)rrest.  attempted  a  raid  on  Memphis  to 
lil)erate  a  lot  of  prisoners.  The  camp  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  Illi- 
nois was  surprised  early  in  the  morning  while 
all  were  asleep,  and  Company  E.  to  which 
our  subject  belonged,  met  with  serious  loss, 
thirteen  of  its  members  being  killed  by  the 
enemy.  They  were  shot  down  as  they  at- 
tempted to  rise  from  their  beds  l)ut  soon  the 
regiment  rallied  to  the  support  of  a  negro 
battery  and  held  the  main  force  of  the  enemv 
in  check,  so  that  but  few  of  them  enteied 
the  city  of  Mem])his.  It  was-  Mr.  \\'ilson 
w  ho  tirst  gave  the  alarm  to  his  company.  He 
remained  in  the  service  until  late  in  the  fall 
of  1864.  wdien  he  was  discharged  and  the 
following  winter  re-entered  school,  his  edu- 
cation being  interrupted  by  his  enlistment. 

In  1869  Mr.  ^^^ilson  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Northern  Missouri  Railroad  as  oflice 
Ijo}-  at  R.  &  L.  Junction,  i\Iissonri,  and  was 
later  transferred  to  Jacksonville.  Illinois, 
where  he  served  as  night  baggageman  on 
the  Wabash  Railroad,  at  the  same  tnne  learn- 
ing telegra])hy.  He  remained  at  that  place 
until  T875.  wdien  he  came  to  Alorrisonville 
•and  has  since  held  the  position  of  station 
agent  here  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned,  tie  is  very  accommodating  and 
popular  and  with  exception  of  a  few  vaca- 
tions he  has  always  been  found  at  his  post 
of  duty. 

On  the  2(jth  of  October,  1872,  was  cele- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


449 


brated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Wilson  and  Miss 
Medora  Lyle.  The  lady  is  of  French  de- 
scent on  the  paternal  side,  while  his  mother 
was  a  descendant  of  Chief  Justice  Waite. 
Mr.  and  Airs.  Wilson  have  the  following 
children:  Stan  H.,  Bessie  A.,  Wycoff  and 
Jo  H.  The  last  named  is  now  in  the  employ 
of  the  Wabash  Railroad. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  taken  a  very  active  and 
influential  part  in  public  affairs  since  com- 
ing- to  Morrisonville  and  has  been  honored 
with  positions  of  public  trust  and  responsi- 
bility. Three  times  he  has  served  as  mayor 
of  the  city,  has  also  been  alderman  several 
terms,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  all  of  which  offices  he  has  filled  with 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfac- 
tion of  his  constituents. 


CHARLES  HALL. 


Since  attaining  to  man's  estate  this  gen- 
tleman  has  been  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  interests  of  Chris- 
tion  county  and  for  many  years  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  grain  business  at  Willey,  where 
he  has  made  his  home  since  1872.  He  is 
a  native  of  this  county,  born  in  what  is  now 
May  township,  January  15,  1846,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  B.  and  Louisa  (Moore) 
Hall.  His  father  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1810,  and  removed  to  Illinois  about  1834, 
becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Chris- 
tian county.  As  a  contractor  and  builder 
he  erected  the  first  church  in  Taylorville  and 
in  other  ways  was  actively  identified  with 
the  development  of  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  died  in  September,  1901,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  March  16,  1854. 

Charles  Hall  attended  the  common  schools 
of  this  county  and  Taylorville,  completing 
his  education,  however,  at  Mount  Zion,  Ma- 
con county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  a  student 


lor  one  year.  After  putting  aside  his  text- 
books he  engaged  in  farming  until  1872  and 
then  removed  to  W^illey  and  embarked  in 
general  merchandising  and  the  grain  busi- 
ness. He  sold  his  store  in  1885  but  is  still 
dealing  in  grain  as  manager  for  the  firm  of 
Hill  Brothers  &  Crow.  He  owns  good  resi- 
dence property  in  Willey  and  also  a  nice 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Tay- 
lorville township.  For  the  long  period  of 
twenty  years  he  served  as  postmaster,  rail- 
road agent  and  express  agent  at  AA'illey,  and 
the  duties  of  those  positions  he  most  capably 
and  satisfactorily  performed. 

In  1883  Mr.  Hall  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  McAdoo,  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel McAdoo,  who  was  from  Tennessee,  and 
two  children  bless  this  union  :  William  B., 
who  is  now  attending  business  college  in 
Decatur;  and  David  C,  at  home.  The  wife 
and  mother  is  a  consistent  and  earnest  mem- 
l^er  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
the  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity were  they  reside.  Socially  Mr.  Hall 
is  a  member  of  Taylorville  Lodge,  No.  122, 
A.  V.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by 
all  who  know  him. 


R.   E.   HOLBEN,   M.   D. 

Dr.  R.  E.  Holben,  although  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Christian  county,  has  already  attained  an 
enviable  position  in  its  ranks,  his  years  seem- 
ing no  limit  to  his  ability.  In  fact  there  is 
so  much  more  demanded  of  the  medical 
graduate  of  the  present  than  in  years  ])ast 
that  the  }'oung  ])hysician  enters  upon  his 
work  well  ef|uipped  to  meet  its  arduous  and 
responsible  duties,  and  Dr.  Holben  has  there- 
fore won  tlie  conlidcnce  and  ])atronage  of 
the  public. 

A  nati\-e  son  of  Cln-istian  countv.  he  was 


450 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


born  on  the  29th  of  April,  1879.  a  son  of 
I\I.  A.  and  Margaret  (Harmony)  Holben. 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  (^hio.  Re- 
moving westward  in  the  _\ear  \Hyo.  they 
took  up  their  abode  in  Christian  county  and 
are  still  living  on  a  farm  within  i's  borders, 
the  father  liaving  devoted  his  entire  life  to 
agricultural  pursuits. 

Dr.  Holben  spent  the  days  of  h;3  boyhood 
;ind  vonth  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  when 
not  eivins:  his  attention  to  the  duties  of  the 
schoolroom  or  the  pleasures  of  the  l)la)j- 
ground  he  assisted  in  the  operation  of  the 
fields,  the  long  months  of  sun.mer  being 
passed  in  this  way.  Xot  desiring  to  make 
agricultural  pursuits  his  life  work,  however, 
he  continued  his  education  preparatory  to 
entering  upon  a  professional  career.  He 
spent  some  time  as  a  student  in  AWashington 
University  of  St.  Louis  and  then  entered  the 
Medical  College  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  he 
completed  a  course  and  won  his  degree,  be- 
ine-  graduated  with  the  class  of  rqoT.  His 
l)ractical  training  was  received  in  the  Wa- 
bash Hospital,  at  S])ringfield,  Illinois,  and 
subsequent!}-  lie  was  connected  with  St. 
John's  Hospital,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
where  the  varied  experience  that  comes  in 
hospital  work  added  greatly  to  his  knowl- 
edge, skill  and  efficiencv.  He  thus  came  to 
Mount  AuJjurn,  on  the  29th  of  June,  1901. 
well  equipped  to  take  up  the  duties  of  a  gen- 
eral practice  in  medicine  and  siu^gery,  to 
which  he  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  en- 
ergies. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1902.  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Dr.  Holben  and  Miss  Edna 
A\'.  Berry,  a  daughter  of  T.  T.  Berry,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Their 
social  standing  is  high  and  the  circle  of  their 
friends  is  extensive. 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal -church,  and  he  be- 


longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and 
to  the  Anti-Hor.se  Thief  Association.  In 
jiolitics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  now  serving 
as  n.otary  pu])lic.  He  owns  his  home  in. 
Mount  Auburn  an<l  at  this  writing  in  1903 
is  building  a  fine  ofhcc,  which  contains  a  suite 
of  three  rooms,  that  will  be  equipped  with 
all  the  kitest  a])pliances  and  accessories  in  use 
liy  the  modern  physician.  In  addition  to  his 
private  practice  Dr.  Holben  is  serving  as 
examining  physician  to  the  Court  of  Honor 
and  the  Northwestern  Life  and  the  Franklin 
Life  Lisurance  Companies.  He  is  a  mem- 
l)er  of  the  Decatur  Medical  Societv. 


H.  c.  milli<:k. 

H.  C.  IMiller,  a  well  known  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  residing  on  section  2,  Prairie- 
t(^n  township,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  19th  of  April,  1863,  his  parents  being- 
William  H.  and  Mary  E.  Miller,  who  were 
also  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  It  was 
about  1868  that  the  family  came  to  Illinois 
and  here  the  father  engaged  in  farming, 
though  by  trade  he  was  a  harnessmaker  and 
had  previously  followed  that  occupation  in 
the  east.  He  died  in  1896  but  the  mother  of 
otu'  subject  is  still  living  and  now  makes 
her  home  in  Moweaqua. 

IT.  C.  Miller  was  only  h\c  years  of  age  l 
when  brought  to  this  state  and  here  he  was 
reared  and  educated,  attending  tlie  common 
schools  of  Macon  and  Christian  counties. 
^\'hile  a.ssisting  his  father  in  the  operation 
of  the  home  farm  he  acquired  a  good  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  agricultural  pursuits  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years  began  farming-  on 
his  own  account  upon  rented  land.  Three 
years  later  he  removed  to  Moweaqua,  where 
he  engaged  in  teaming  for  five  years,  and 
at  the  end  of  that  time  located  upon  his 
present  place  in  Prairieton  township.     Here 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


451 


he  owns  sixty-one  acres  of  rich  and  arahle 
land,  upon  \Vhich  is  a  good  residence  and 
substantial  outbuildings,  and  in  connection 
with  its  operation  he  is  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  fine  Poland  China  hogs. 

In  1889  Mr.  Miller  wedded  Miss  Mira  J. 
Widick.  a  daughter  of  Abner  Widick,  one 
of  the  leading  farmers  of  Prairieton  town- 
ship, and  four  children  bless  this  union : 
Floyd  E.,  Zeva  May,  Clarence  O.  and  Fred 
H.,  all  at  home.  The  parents  are  both  earn- 
est and  consistent  members  of  the  Christian 
church,  and  are  also  members  of  the  Fra- 
ternal Army  of  America.  Mr.  Miller's  po- 
litical support  is  given  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  for  three  years 
he  has  efficiently  served  as  school  director. 
In  business  affairs  he  is  thoroughly  reliable 
and  he  has  the  respect  of  the  entire  com- 
munitv  in  which  he  lives. 


MICHAEL  J.  FITZGERALD. 

Although  one  of  the  younger  representa- 
tives of  the  legal  fraternity  in  Christian 
county,  Mr.  Fitzgerald  has  already  met  with 
success  in  his  chosen  profession  and  is  ef- 
ficiently serving  as  city  attorney  of  Assump- 
tion. A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born 
near  the  town  of  Nokomis,  Montgomery 
county,  July  15,  1870.  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Raftes)  Fitzgerald.  His  father 
was  born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  in 
1840,  and  was  only  nine  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States.  Landing  at 
New  Orleans  he  proceeded  up  the  Missis- 
sippi river  to  Alton,  Illinois,  and  from  there 
by  stage  to  Jerseyville,  Jersey  county,  this 
state.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery county  and  aided  in  the  development 
of  both  counties.  After  a  useful  and  well 
spent  life,  mainly  devoted  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  he  died  in  1892.     His  widow  still 


resides  on  the  old  home  farm  near  Noko- 
mis. Of  the  ten  children  born  to  them  six 
are  now  living-,  our  subject  being  next  to 
the  eldest  of  the  family.  The  Fitzgeralds 
are  of  French  origin  and  the  name  was  for- 
merly Geraldine.  The  family  was  founded 
in  Ireland  at  the  time  of  the  Norman  in- 
vasion and  the  name  was  subsequently 
changed  to  its  present  form. 

Michael  J.  Fitzgerald  received  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  'district  schools  of 
Montgomery  county  and  later  attended  the 
Normal  L^niversity  at  Valparaiso.  Indiana, 
where  h.e  was  graduated  in  the  law  depart- 
ment with  the  class  of  1897.  ^^  '^^''^^  then 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  practice  in 
Assumption  in  July,  1898.  He  received  his 
first  appointment  as  city  attorney  that  year 
and  in  1901  was  re-appointed,  serving  one 
year  each  time.  In  1902  he  was  duly  elected 
to  that  office  and  re-elected  in  1903,  so  that 
he  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term.  He  has 
made  a  careful  study  of  all  cases  intrusted 
to  him  and  has  met  with  good  success  in 
practice  ov.ing  to  his  thorough  and  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  law.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  County  Bar  Asso- 
ciation and  both  as  an  attorney  and  citizen 
he  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow 
men.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
church  and  of  Decatur  Council,  Knights  of 
Columbus,  and  in  politics  is  an  ardent  Dem- 
ocrat. He  is  one  of  the  popular  young  men 
of  Assumption  and  makes  friends  wherever 
he  goes. 


JOHN  ORR. 

John  Orr  is  the  oldest  merchant  of  Pana 
when  judged  by  the  length  of  his  continu- 
ous connection  witli  the  business  affairs  of 
the  city.  For  thirty-one  years  he  has  con- 
ducted a  grocerv  stnre  here  and  is  still  it'--. 


452 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


proprietor,  enjoying  a  trade  which  has  con- 
tinually increased  as  the  years  have  gone 
hy.  His  name  therefore  is  inseparably  in- 
tcvwoxx'n  with  the  commercial  development 
of  Pana,  and  he  should  in  Cdusequence  find 
representation  in  the  history  of  the  countv. 

Mr.  Orr  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  hirtli 
ha\ing  occurred  in  Jefferson  county,  that 
state,  in  1847,  his  parents  being  Andrew  and 
Anna  Orr.  Idie  father,  also  a  native  of  the 
lUickeye  state,  was  a  farmer  ])}•  occupation 
and  in  1856  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he 
secured  a  tract  of  land  on  Spring  creek, 
seven  miles  from  laylorNille.  He  after- 
ward remoxed  to  Buckeye  prairie,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  being  one 
of  the  w-ell  known  and  respected  agricul- 
turists of  the  community. 

When  a  voung  lad  John  Orr  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Illinois  and  was  reared  on 
Buckeye  prairie  until  seventeen  years  of  age. 
In  1868  he  came  to  Pana.  desiring  to  fol- 
low commercial  rather  than  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  establishing  a  grocerv  store  has 
since  continued  in  that  line  of  trade,  co^'•• 
ering  a  period  of  thirty-one  years  down  to 
the  present  time.  He  carries  staple  and  fancy 
groceries  and  his  store  is  well  appointed, 
while  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  cus- 
tomers, his  systematic  methods  and  his  hon- 
orable dealing  have  secured  to  him  a  very 
desirable  and  constantly  growing  patronage. 
His  father-in-law,  M.  J.  Jones,  was  for 
twenty-one  years  his  partner  in  this  enter- 
prise. 

In  1872  occurred  the  m.'u-riage  of  Mr.  Orr 
and  Miss  Martha  J.  Jones,  oi  Oconee.  Illi- 
nois. Her  father  was  a  very  prominent  an.d 
influential  citizen  of  Pana  for  m;my  years. 
Although  he  was  a  Republican  in  politics 
such  w'as  his  personal  worth  and  ability  that 
he  was  called  to  fill  the  office  of  depvitv  sher- 
iff  under   Josiah    Hill,   a   supporter   of   the 


Democratic  party.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orr 
ha\-e  been  born  four  children,  of  \\hom  three 
are  still  living:  Bessie,  the  wife  of  J.  J. 
Pier])ont,  of  Pana;  Calla,  wife  of  AI.  B. 
Atherton,  also  a  resident  of  Pana  ;  and  Ruth, 
who  is  still  at  home  with  her  ])arents. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orr  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  interested 
in  its  work  and  active  in  the  extension  of  its 
influence.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity  Mr. 
Orr  has  attained  the  Roval  Arcii  degree  and 
he  is  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Modern 
AV'oodmen  Camp  at  Pana.  Illinois.  His  po- 
litical allegiance  is  given  the  Democracy  and 
he  is  now  ser\ing  as  a  member  i^f  the  board 
of  county  supervisors,  acting  at  the  present 
time  as  chairman  of  the  judicial  and  finance 
committees,  and  also  as  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  poor  claims.  He  lias  likexvise 
been  a  school  director  and  alderman  and  in 
his  official  service  is  prompt  and  notably  re- 
liable, regarding  a  public  office  as  a  public 
trust — and  no  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever 
been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree. 


R.  C.  McCAULEY. 

R.  C.  McCauley.  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  Inisi- 
ness  in  Morrison\ille,  is  a  nati\"e  of  Illinois, 
his  birth  lia\ing  occurred  in.  Washington 
countv.  this  state,  on  the  3d  of  Septeml)er. 
1859.  His  father  was  John  McCauley,  who 
was  l)orn  in  Kentucky  of  English  ancestry 
and  belonged  to  an  old  pioneer  family  of 
that  state.  Our  subject  was  quite  small  when 
his  parents  died  and  he  was  forced  to  go  into 
the  world  without  home  influences.  He 
worked  at  farming  until  twenty-five  years 
of  agfe,  his  education  being  limited  as  he  was 
only  able  to  attend  tlie  district  schools  for  a 
short  time  during  the  winter  months.  He 
subsequentlv  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


455 


month  until  he  felt  competent  to  carry  on  a 
farm  f(jr  himself  and  then  rented  land  which 
he  operated  until  his  removal  to  Morrison- 
\ille  in  1884.  Here  he  purchased  the  meat 
market  now  owned  by  J.  H.  Miller,  and  for 
several  years  successfully  carried  on  the 
same.  In  1892  he  turned  his  attention  to 
his  present  business,  starting  with  a  small 
stock  of  furniture  worth  two  thousand  dol- 
lars, l)ut  as  he  steadilv  prospered  in  this 
\cnture  he  has  enlarged  his  Inisiness  and  to- 
day occupies  two  stores  with  over  five  thou- 
sand square  feet  of  floor  space  in  one  and 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  scjuare 
feet  in  the  other.  Both  are  filled,  and  he 
carries  a  well  selected  stock.  Air.  McCauley 
now  makes  a  specialty  of  the  undertaking 
business  and  recei\'es  a  liberal  share  of  the 
])ublic  patronage  in  this  line,  his  services  be- 
ing often  sought  throughout  many  parts  of 
the  countv.  He  has  a  branch  undertaking 
establishment  at  Harvel,  Illinois. 

In  1882  Mr.  McCauley  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Miss  Addie  M.  Dodson,  a  daughter  of 
j.  C.  and  Ann  (Green)  Dodson.  Her  father 
is  a  retired  farmer  of  this  county  and  is  of 
Rnglish  descent.  Our  subject  and  his  wife 
ha\'e  two  children:  Walter  E.,  who  is  now 
assisting  his  father  in  lousiness;  and  Emma, 
at  home. 

In  his  Social  relations  Mr.  McCauley  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of  Morrison- 
ville,  and  is  now  past  master.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Fraternal  Army  and  is  a  director 
and  vice  president  of  the  Building  &  Loan 
Association  of  the  city.  Politically  he  is 
identified  with  the  Republican  party  and 
served  as  city  treasurer  for  one  year.  Pub- 
lic spirited  and  progressive,  he  gives  a  lib- 
eral support  to  all  enterprises  which  he  be- 
lieves calculated  to  promote  the  public  wel- 
fare and   he  ne\'er  withholds  his  aid   from 


charitable  undertakings.  Both  as  a  business 
man  and  citizen  he  stands  high  in  public  es- 
teem. 


LEWIS  P.  LEATHERS. 

The  spirit  of  self-help  is  the  source  of  all 
genuine  worth  in  the  individual.  It  enables 
many  a  man  to  conquer  obstacles  and  difii- 
culties  and  to  advance  on  the  road  to  pros- 
perity, because  he  has  many  times  passed 
others  who  perhaps  started  out  more  ad- 
vantageously equipped  than  he.  It  is  this 
element  in  the  life  record  of  Mr.  Leathers 
that  has  made  his  a  prosperous  career.  He 
has  perhaps  not  won  the  measure  of  financial 
success  that  many  desire,  but  is  rich  in  all 
the  qualities  of  an  honorable  manhood  that 
win  respect,  confidence  and  admiration. 

Mr.  Leathers  was  born  in  Shelby  county, 
Illinois,  May  26,  1858,  his  parents  being 
David  and  Lydia  (Cowkenouer)  Leathers. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  while  his  parents  were  residents  of 
Pennsylvania  prior  to  his  birth  and  removed 
from  the  Keystone  state  to  the  Buckeye 
state  and  later  to  Shelby  county,  Illinois. 
David  Leathers  volunteered  for  service  in 
the  Civil  war  as  a  member  of  Company  H, 
Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry  and  was  with  his 
command  for  nearly  three  years.  He  was 
then  wounded  in  the  battle  at  LaGrange, 
Mississippi,  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Mem- 
phis when  but  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 
During  the  period  of  bis  illness  in  the  hos- 
pital his  wife  became  ill  and  died  a  few  days 
prior  to  his  death.  Mr.  Leathers  was  a 
young  man  of  splendid  purpose,  courageous 
in  battle  and  ever  loyal  to  the  cause  which 
he  believed  to  be  right,  ha\'ing  the  welfare 
of  his  country  close  at  heart.  Unto  him  and 
his  wife  were  born  four  sons:  Francis  M. ; 
Lewis  P. ;  Andrew,  a  twin  to  our  subject, 


456 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


\\lui  (Heel  in  infancy;  and  Jasper  R.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  removed  to 
Shelby  county,  IlHnois,  during-  the  early  set- 
tlement of  that  locality,  1)cing  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  its  pioneer  families.  The 
Cowkenouer  family  came  origin.nlly  froni 
Russia. 

In  his  boyhood  days  Lewis  P.  Leathers 
resided  with  relatives  and  endured  many 
hardships  unknown  to  boys  who  enjoy  the 
privileges  and  opportunities  of  home  life. 
Tie  had  but  meager  educational  advantages 
tor  when  still  very  young  he  began  to  earn 
his  own  li\ing  by  working  as  a  farm  hand 
at  ten  dollars  per  month  in  Effingham  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  He  was  thus  employed  for  one 
year  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  re- 
turned to  Shelby  county,  where  he  contin- 
ued to  follow  farming  in  the'  employ  of 
others  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage  in 
1878.  He  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
timber  land,  built  thereon  a  log  cabin  and 
began  his  domestic  life  in  the  midst  of  the 
green  woods.  He  cleared  away  the  timber, 
however,  and  cultivated  a  portion  of  his  land 
for  three  years.  He  then  removed  to  Cow- 
den,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  a  year, 
and  in  1890  he  came  to  Taylorville.  Here 
he  first  engaged  in  general  work  and  for 
some  time  was  employed  by  Reuben  Wilkin- 
son. He  was  appointed  sexton  of  Oakhill 
cemetery  on  the  •i6th  of  June,  1902,  and  is 
now  acting  in  that  capacity,  his  labors  being 
most  acceptable  to  the  people  for  the  grounds 
are  kept  in  splendid  condition  and  the  city 
of  the  dead  is  made  beautiful  through  his 
labors. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1878,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Leathers  and  Miss  Bell 
Hoover,  a  daughter  of  David  Hoover,  of 
Shelby  county,  Illinois.  Six  children  graced 
{h\>  union,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living, 
namely:     Margaret  P.,  Marion  R.,  Lewis 


V.  and  Cordia.  Those  who  have  passed  away 
are  John  L.,  a  twin  brother  of  Lewis  P.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  six  months ;  and  Gertrude, 
w  ho  died  in  infancy.  Margaret  F.  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  high  school  and  is  now  a  popular 
teacher  in  the  West  school  of  Taylorville, 
while  Marion  R.  is  a  telegraph  operator  at 
the  tenninal  station  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
The  younger  children  are  yet  under  the  pa- 
rental roof. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Leathers 
became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protest- 
ant church,  the  organization  being  formed  in 
a  log  schoolhouse  in  Shelby  county.  He 
retained  his  membership  there  for  six  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  the  society  dis- 
banded and  he  united  with  the  Christian 
church  at  Holiday,  Illinois.  Some  years  later 
he  was  ordained  an  elder  in  that  church  and 
has  continuously  acted  in  that  capacity,  be- 
ing now  an  elder  in  the  Christian  church  of 
Taylorville.  His  wife  also  belongs  to  the 
same  church  and  they  take  a  very  prominent 
and  active  part  in  its  work.  Mr.  Leathers 
is  a  leading  member  of  the  Christian  En- 
deavor Society  and  has  been  very  helpful 
to  voung  men  and  women  who  are  trving  to 
lead  a  better  life.  He  is  also  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation and  was  the  secretary  of  the  local 
society  for  one  year.  He  gives  to  every 
movement  for  the  moral  advancement  of  the 
community  his  hearty  co-operation  and  has 
done  his  full  share  toward  the  betterment 
of  humanity  and  for  the  advancement  of 
church  interests  in  Taylorville  and  the  other 
communities  in  which  he  has  resided. 


LEVEUS  E.  SMEDLEY 

This  worthy  citizen  of  Rosamond  town- 
ship belongs  to  an  old  and  honored  New 
England  family  that  originated  in  England 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


457 


and  dates  back  two  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
the  deeds  to  the  home  being  made  out  in 
the  time  of  George  III.  The  progenitors  of 
the  family  in  America  were  two  brothers, 
John  and  James  Smedley,  the  former  of 
whom  located  on  a  farm  in  Litchfield,  Con- 
necticut, while  the  latter  settled  in  old  Vir- 
ginia. Their  descendants  are  now  ^vi(lely 
scattered  throughout  the  LTnited  States. 

Nehemiah  Smedley,  our  subject's  great- 
great-grandfather,  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
Connecticut,  in  1732,  and  he  and  William 
Hosford  were  the  first  white  men  to  locate 
at  Williamstown,  Massachusetts.  There 
was  a  book  dedicated  to  his  honor,  Nehe- 
miah Smedley  and  Colonel  Simons,  compiled 
by  Arthur  Latham  Perry,  LL.  D.,  professor 
of  history  and  political  economy  in  Williams 
College,  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  His- 
torical Society  and  president  of  the  Berk- 
shire Historical  and  Scientific  Society.  Ne- 
hemiah Smedley  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Mary  Harwood,  and  their  oldest 
child  was  Levi  Smedley,  the  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject.  He  was  born  Octo- 
ber 8,  1764,  at  Bachelor  Hall,  which  was 
built  by  his  father  and  which  was  the  birth- 
])lace  of  four  of  the  latter's  children,  the 
other  four  being  born  in  a  new  and  larger 
house  that  is  still  standing  near  the  junction 
of  the  Green  and  Ho(3sac  rivers.  The  oak 
"timbers  for  the  new  house  were  lifted  in 
place  October  8,  1772,  when  Levi  Smedley 
v\-as  only  eight  years  old,  and  the  Harwoods 
and  other  friends  came  from  Bennington, 
Vermont,  to  assist  in  the  raising.  The  coun- 
tr)-  was  then  preparing  for  war,  this  being 
just  before  the  Revolution  and  Captain  Ne- 
hemiah Smedley  was  away  from  home  most 
of  the  time,  leaving  the  care  of  the  children 
to  his  wife.  After  her  death  he  was  mar- 
ried in  less  than  a  year  to  Mrs.  Lyman  Gibbs, 
by  whom  he  had  one  son,  James,  who  was 


born  December  23,  1783.  His  will,  dated 
December  17,  1789,  made  his  eldest  son, 
Levi,  sole  executor,  then  just  past  his  twen- 
ty-fourth year.  His  bond  for  the  sum  of 
one  thousand  pounds  was  signed  by  his 
neighbors,  Samuel  Kellogg  and  Ira  Baker, 
who  owned  adjoining  farms  and  who,  to- 
gether with  William  Wells,  had  witnessed 
the  will.  The  testator  lived  about  two  years 
after  his  will  was  drawn  and  it  was  approved 
by  the  judge  of  probate  March  2,  1790. 
Tradition  says  that  Nehemiah  Smedley  died 
of  consumption  at  the  old  homestead.  The 
place  was  afterward  occupied  by  his  son 
Levi,  who  was  known  as  Deacon  Smedley 
and  who  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject.  He  died  in  1848  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years. 

Levi  Smedley,  Jr.,  our  subject's  grand- 
father, was  born  in  1795  and  in  due  time  in- 
herited the  farm,  where  he  lived  a  long  and 
useful  life.  For  one  year  he  represented  his 
town  in  the  general  assembly,  entering  upon 
the  duties  of  that  position  in  January,  1857, 
and  he  did  good  service  in  forwarding  the 
cause  of  the  Hoosac  tunnel  then  before  the 
legislature,  the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad 
making  a  strong  fight  against  the  proposi- 
tion. 

Chauncey  Smedley,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  December  24,  18 19,  on  the 
old  home  farm,  of  which  he  afterward  came 
into  possession.  After  operating  the  an- 
cestral acres  for  half  a  lifetime  he  sold  the 
place  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1870,  locating 
near  Aurora  in  Kane  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm.  He  was  married  in  Will- 
iamstow^n,  Massachusetts,  to  Miss  Celestia 
Bardwell,  a  daughter  of  Giles  Bardwell  and 
a  descendant  of  Obediah  Bardwell,  who  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier.  UntO'  this  union 
two  children  were  born :  Leveus  E.,  of 
this    review;    and   Eliza    D.,,    who    married 


458 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


William  R.  Hobbs  and  died  at  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  leaving  four  sons.  After  coming 
to  Illinois  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
in  Kane  county  until  1885,  \vhen  he  came  to 
Christian  county  to  make  liis  home  with  our 
subject.  Here  he  died  on  the  29th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1885,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born  at 
Sandy  Hill,  New  York,  May  28,  182 1, 
passed  away  January  6,  1900. 

Leveus  E.  Smedley  is  of  the  fifth  gen- 
eration of  the  Smedley  family  lx)rn  at  Will- 
iamstown,  Massachusetts,  his  natal  day  be- 
ing November  13.  1846.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  place  and  has 
made  farming  his  life  occupation  as  did  his 
ancestors.  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1885  that 
he  came  to  Christian  county  and  took  up  his 
residence  upon  his  present  farm  on  section 
14,  Rosamond  townshij).  where  he  has  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved 
with  good  buildings.  Here  he  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock 
raising,   his  principal  crops  being  hay  and 


gram. 


At  Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  March 
15,  1 87 1,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Smedley  and  ]\Iiss  Clara  Ellis  Kellogg, 
who  was  born  July  28,  1849,  ^  daughter  of 
Samuel  Blair  and  Mary  A.  (Hosford)  Kel- 
logg, lx)th  representatives  of  old  and  highly 
respected  families  of  that  place.  Her  father 
died  about  1892,  but  her  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing and  now  makes  her  home  in  Brockport, 
New  York.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smedlev 
were  l)orn  five  children  :  Lucy,  born  Decem- 
l)er  2,  1871,  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  S.  Bailey, 
of  Rosamond  township.  Mary  A.,  born  De- 
cember 2.  1873,  is  the  wife  of  James  A.  Mc- 
Kee,  a  merchant  and  postmaster  of  Rose- 
mond.  Samuel  C,  born  January  7,  1879, 
died  August  23,  1880.  Julia  Kellogg,  born 
April  13,  1882,  was  graduated  at  the  Rose- 


nioiul  schools  in  1900,  and  was  married  in 
1903  to  Morris  Newell,  now  of  Richland, 
^lichigan.  Chauncey  Harold,  lx)rn  Decem- 
ber II,  1889,  completes  the  family.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smedle}-  are  earnest  and  con- 
sistent nienil:>ers  of  the  First  Congregational 
church  of  Rosemond,  of  which  he  is  one  of 
the  trustees,  and  they  are  held  in  high  es- 
teem bv  all  who  know  them. 


JOSIAH  LESLIE  BOYD. 

The  world  instinctively  pays  deference  to 
the  man  whose  success  has  been  worthily 
achieved,  who  has  overcome  the  obstacles  in 
his  path  and  has  become  an  important  factor 
in  business  circles.  This  is  a  progressive 
age  and  he  who  does  not  advance  is  soon 
left  far  behind.  By  the  improvement  of 
opportunities  by  which  all  are  surrounded 
Mr.  Boyd  has  steadily  and  honorablv  worked 
his  way  upward  and  is  to-day  one  of  the 
wealthy  and  substantial  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. He  makes  his  home  in  Palmer  and 
is  now  engaged  principally  in  farming  and 
in  buying  and  selling  stock. 

A  native  of  Christian  county,  he  was  born 
near  the  present  site  of  Palmer,  April  25, 
1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Zillah  A 
(McCormick)  Boyd,  who  were  natives  of 
North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  respectively, 
but  spent  the  early  part  of  their  married  life 
in  Christian  county,  Kentucky,  where  the 
father  engaged  in  farming  and  tobacco-rais- 
ing. In  1839,  accompanied  by  his  wi/e  and 
four  children,  he  came  with  a  brother  to 
Christian  county,  Illinois,  the  journey  be- 
ing made  in  a  prairie  schooner  and  consum- 
ing several  weeks.  At  length  thev  arrived 
at  their  destination  :uid  located  in  what  is 
now  Bear  Creek  township,  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  Palmer,  where  the  father  entered  a 
tract  of  government  land,  the  place  being 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


459 


ii()\\  owned  by  his  eldest  sun.  He  continued 
to  reside  in  Bear  Creek  township  through- 
out hfe.  hi  November,  1880,  lie  was  killed 
by  a  train.  His  wife  died  Julv  9,  1897. 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of 
thirteen  children,  of  whom  nine  reached 
years  of  maturity  and  eight  are  still  living. 
Four  of  the  number  are  residents  of  Chris- 
tian county,  these  being  Mrs.  John  F.  Ander- 
son, of  Taylorville ;  Joseph,  of  Bear  Creek 
township;  and  James  M.  and  Josiah  L..  both 
of  Palmer.  During  their  early  residence  in 
this  county  the  family  endured  many  of  the 
hardships  and  privations  which  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  j)ioneer  and  the  father  often  went 
to  St.  Louis  to  do  his  shopping,  dri\ing  an 
ox  team  across  the  unbroken  prairies. 

Our  subject  acquired  his  education  in  a 
district  school  situated  two  miles  from  his 
home  and  in  going  that  distance  he  had  to 
cross  three  swamps,  so  wet  was  the  land  at 
that  time.  Until  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  continued  to  attend  school  off  and  on  dur- 
ing the  winter  season  after  the  crops  were 
harvested  in  the  autumn.  He  remained  on 
the  homestead  farm  until  thirty-one  and  then 
removed  to  Palmer,  where  he  opened  a  mer- 
cantile establishment,  carrying  a  full  line  of 
goods  usually  found  in  a  first  class  general 
store.  He  retired  from  the  active  manasfe- 
ment  of  the  same  in  1902,  when  lie  sold  an 
interest  in  the  store  to  A.  L.  Shrout.  who  is 
now  in  charge.  In  1897  Mr.  Boyd  bought 
the  elevator  at  Palmer,  having  two  vears 
prior  to  this  time  embarked  in  the  grain 
business,  but  he  sold  out  in  1902  and  now 
devotes  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his 
farming  and  stock  dealing.  He  is  the  owner 
of  seven  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Johnson.  Greenwood  and  Bear  Creek  town- 
ships, all  under  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved, and  he  gives  his  personal  supervision 


to  the  operation  of  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  this.  He  not  only  buys  and  sells  live 
stock  but  he  also  raises  and  feeds  consider- 
able beef  cattle  for  the  markets,  and  in  his 
business  undertakings  has  met  with  marked 
success,  being  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and 
keen  discrimination. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1875,  Mr.  Boyd  mar- 
ried Miss  Laura  J.  Hewitt,  of  Taylorville, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  ten  children,  of 
wdiom  Francis  A.  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  Those  still  living  are  as  follows : 
Anna  Zillali.  wife  of  A.  L.  Shrout,  by  w^hom 
she  has  one  child,  Helen  lone;  Laura  Eunice. 
Olive  Edna,  Lotus  Emma,  William  Leslie. 
Velma  Gertrude,  Ross  H.,  Byron  B.  and 
Ruth  v.,  all  at  home. 

Religiously  Mr.  Boyd  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Cumberland  Presl^yterian  church 
and  fraternally  he  holds  membership  in  Mor- 
risonville  Lodge,  No.  681.  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  which  he  is  junior  warden.  He  is  a  prom- 
inent Odd  Fellow,  having  several  times 
passed  all  the  chairs  in  Palmer  Lodge.  No. 
501,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  also  belonged  to  the 
encampment  at  Palmer,  which  is  now  aban- 
doned, and  twice  served  as  a  delegate  to  the 
grand  lodge  of  the  state.  He  also  belong? 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Fraternal  Army  of  America.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Boyd  is  a  pronounced  Republican 
and  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  tlie  county  board  of  supervisors  in  a  Dem- 
ocratic township  plainly  indicates  his  pei  • 
sonal  popularitv  and  the  confidence  and  trust 
reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
also  ser\ed  as  jiresident  of  the  village  board 
tw(^  terms  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  and  clerk  of  the  same.  He  is 
a  pul)lic  spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and 
he  well  merits  the  high  regard  in  which  he 
is  held. 


•tf)0 


PAST  AND   I'KESENT 


ClfARLES  M.   I' ARKER. 

Charles  M.  Earkcr.  editor  :ind  proprietor 
of  the  School  .W'Ti'.v  and  I^nictiai  luliicntcr, 
published  at  'raylorxille,  llHnois,  has 
throughout  his  entire  life  heen  eoiineeted 
with  educational  work  and  his  labors  have 
resulted  to  the  henetit  of  the  school  S3'stem 
of  this  and  many  other  states.  Deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  education,  he  has  made 
a  close  and  earnest  study  of  the  needs  and 
demands  of  the  public  in  this  direction  and 
his  ideas,  as  set  forth  in  his  i)ublication. 
ha\e  been  most  practical  and  helpful.  In 
this  regard  he  mav  certainly  be  termed  a 
public  l^enefactor,  for  he  A\ho  gives  to  man 
useful  knowledge  bestows  upon  him  some- 
thin""  that  can  never  be  taken  from  him  but 
will  grow  stronger  with  use. 

Mr.  Parker  was  born  in  the  mountains  in 
the  western  ])art  of  North  Carolina,  his 
birth  occurring  in  Wilkes  county,  near 
Wilkesboro,  on  the  17th  of  September,  i860. 
His  i)arents  were  Samuel  S.  and  Elizabeth 
A.  (Call)  Parker,  the  former  a  farmer  b^'' 
occupation.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
only  two  years  of  age.  In  1867  he.  with 
his  mother  and  stepfather  left  the  south  and 
came  to  Christian  county,  Illinois,  setthng 
in  Mosquito  township.  Ele  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  district  schools,  which  he  at- 
tended for  a  few  months  each  winter  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  the  summer  seasons 
being  devoted  to  working  for  farmers  of  the 
communit}-.  He  sjient  about  six  uK^nths  in 
1880  as  a  student  in  W'estfield  College,  of 
Westfield,  Illinois,  and  in  1879  began  teacii- 
ing  in  Mosquito  township,  being  then  eight- 
een years  of  age.  He  attended  the  annual 
teachers'  institutes  in  Christian  and  Macon 
counties  and  the  work  there  clone  and  the 
course  of  reading  which  he  pursued  in  the 
Illinois  Teachers'  Reading  Circle  gave  him 


an  inspiration  in  his  teaching  and  in  his 
efforts  to  secure  imi)ro\ed  methods  of  in- 
struction. He  had  a  natuial  \o\e  for  the 
work  .and  also  realized  that  teaching  afforded 
oijjjortunity  for  study  and  cnhure.  From 
t88i  until  1886  he  taught  .school  near  Blue 
Mound,  in  Macon  county,  Illinois,  and  for 
two  years  thereafter  was  a  teacher  in  the 
West  Side  school  of  Taylorville. 

Ere  severing  his  connection  w  ith  the  city 
schools  in  1888  he  began  the  ])ublication  of 
the  School  A'czus  and  Practical  lidncatov  in 
June,  1887.  This  journal  is  now  in  its  sev- 
enteenth year  and  has  been  continuously  and 
exclusively  under  the  management  and  own- 
ership of  Mr.  Parker.  He  has  made  it  what 
its  name  implies — a  paper  of  the  greatest 
assistance  to  the  teacher,  and  from  almost 
every  county  superintendent  of  the  state  he 
has  received  letters  of  endorsement  and 
praise,  speaking  of  the  value  of  his  paper. 
His  time  and  attention  have  been  given  to  a 
study  of  the  conditions  of  the  schools,  their 
needs  and  recjuirements  and  the  ideas  ad- 
vanced by  him  ha\e  been  of  a  most  ])ractical 
and  helpful  character.  Erom  1888  until  1897 
he  was  an  instructor  in  teachers'  institutes 
in  various  parts  of  Illinois.  He  has  thus 
been  identified  with  educational  work  in 
more  than  thirty  counties  of  the  state  and 
has  thereby  gained  a  broad,  comprehensive 
and  accurate  view  of  the  conditions  of  the 
schools  and  has  ])lanned  work  for  their  im- 
l)rovement.  his  ideas  being  set  forth  in  the 
School  Ncccs.  The  circulation  of  this  jour- 
nal is  continually  increasing  and  meets  a 
r.ced  of  the  teachers  of  the  ])ublic  schools. 

b'rom  L'.  J.  llofiman,  county  superin- 
tendent of  schot)ls  of  La  Salle  county,  came 
the  following:  "In  ni}'  judgment  the 
School  NiTiVS,  in  connection  with  the  State 
Cour.se  of  Study,  is  the  best  help  available 
to  the  teacher  in  the  common  schools.      I 


CTIRJSTTAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


461 


caiiDot  conceive  of  anything  more  to  the 
point.  The  work  of  the  month  is  oiithned 
in  tlie  Conrse.  The  vakiable  suggestions 
here  given  are  re-inforced  every  month  in 
the  School  Nc^cs  in  advance  by  the  best 
educators  of  the  state.  A  teacher  just  1)e- 
ginning  the  work,  can,  by  an  intelhgent  use 
of  the  Course  of  Study  and  the  School  N'ezvs^ 
grow  into  an  experience  in  otie  year  Avhich 
would  cost  him  five  years  of  labor  without 
such  aid."  This  is  but  one  of  hundreds  of 
such  letters  that  Mr.  Parker  has  received, 
and  they  not  only  bear  testimony  of  his 
splendid  work  in  relation  to  the  schools,  but 
also  speak  in  high  terms  of  him  as  a  gen- 
tleman and  business  man,  always  reliable, 
honorable  and  worthy  of  public  trust  and 
high  regard. 

Li  politics  Mr.  Parker  is  independent,  but 
is  inclined  to  the  -Republican  party  on  ques- 
tions of  finance  and  tarifY.  He  has  never 
sciught  or  desired  political  ofiice,  but  has 
been  and  is  now  especially  interested  in  the 
public  library  movement.  At  the  present 
he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  Taylorville  public  library  and  also  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Taylorville  township  high  school.  He  be- 
longs to  the  State  and  National  Teachers' 
Associations  and  is  a  member  of  the  Edu- 
cational Press  Association  of  America.  His 
religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Taylor- 
\'ille.  in  which  he  is  now  serving  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday-school. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1883,  Mr. 
Parker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Leonora  L.  Wright,  of  Mosquito  township. 
Christian  county,  and  they  have  four  chil- 
(h-en :  Minnie  L.,  Howard  K.,  Jennie  and 
Roy.  Li  his  home  he  is  devoted  to  his  fam- 
ily and  finds  his  greatest  enjoyment  when 
with   his   wife   he   dispenses    hospitality   to 


their  many  friends.  His  entire  life  has  been 
given  to  the  work  of  benefiting  his  race,  and 
in  his  efforts  he  seems  to  have  been  imbued 
with  the  same  spirit  which  prompted  the 
words  of  Sydney  Smith,  who  said :  "The 
real  object  of  education  is  to  give  children 
resources  that  w-ill  endure  as  long  as  life 
endures :  habits  that  time  will  ameliorate, 
not  destroy ;  occupation  that  will  render  sick- 
ness tolerable,  solitude  pleasant,  age  vener- 
able, life  more  dignified  and  useful  and  death 
less  terrible." 


MLSS  MATILDA  TEDLIE. 

For  over  fifty-two  years  this  lady  has  been 
a  resident  of  Christian  county  and  she  has 
therefore  witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and 
development.  During  the  early  years  of  her 
residence  here  she  experienced  many  of  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer  life  and 
is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  conditions 
which  exist  in  a  frontier  settlement  when 
the  land  is  unimproved  and  wild  game  is 
abundant. 

Miss  Tedlie  was  lx)rn  in  County  London- 
derry, Ireland,  February  6,  1826,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Lienor  Tedlie.  The 
father  died  in  that  country  in  1848,  leaving 
six  children,  namely :  John,  William,  Henry. 
Esther  (Murphy).  Jane  and  Matilda.  In 
1836  the  sons  came  to  the  United  States 
and  first  located  in  West  Virginia,  but  in 
1850  came  to  Christian  county.  Illinois, 
where  they  were  joined  by  their  mother  and 
sisters  the  following  year.  Here  the  mother 
died  in  t86i.  and  on  the  13th  of  January, 
1863,  John  passed  away.  Jane  died  Febru- 
ary 7,  1898.  William  Tedlie  became  a  projii- 
inent  and  honored  citizen  of  his  communitv 
and  took  quite  an  active  part  in  public  af- 
fairs, representing    May    township    in    the 


402 


PAST  AND   I'RLCSIuX  r 


hoard  of  supervisors  in   iSjf).     He  departed 
this  life  on  the  13th  of  Fel)rnary,  1902. 

It  will  thus  he  seen  tliat  Miss  Matilda 
Tedlie  is  the  only  representative  of  this 
worthy  family  now  livin.^-.  She  is  the  owner 
of  a  tine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  in  Mav  township,  where  she  makes 
her  home  and  is  surrounded  by  a  large  circle 
of  friends  and  ac(|uaintances  who  hold  her 
in  the  highest  esteem.  Her  farm  is  now 
being-  operated  by  a  great-nephew,  B.  F. 
\\'alker.  who  wasliorn  in  Pennsylvania,  July 
I,  iS6().  a  son  of  W.  A.  and  Elizabeth 
Walker,  who  still  make  their  home  in  that 
state.  During  his  youth  he  learned  the  ma- 
chinist's trade,  which  he  follow-ed  for  thir- 
teen years,  but  in  190J  came  to  Christian 
county  and  has  since  had  charge  of  the  farm, 
which  he  b.as  managed  in  a  most  capable 
and  satisfactory  manner. 


JOSEPH  SIMONS. 

Josejjh  Simons  has  since  1865  been  a  val- 
ued resident  of  Christian  county,  making  his 
home  in  AssumptioiL  After  being  identi- 
fied with  commercial  interests  for  a  number 
of  vears  he  began  investing  in  land  and  is 
now  one  of  the  large  landowners  of  this 
])lace.  All  that  he  has  has  been  ac(|uired  en- 
tirely through  his  own  efforts,  and  he  may 
well  be  called  a  self-made  man.  for  he  came 
to  .\merica  empty-handed,  possessing  no 
capital,  but  being  endowed  w  ith  courage,  de- 
termination and  energy.  Indolence  and  idle- 
ness are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and 
there  are  in  his  life  record  many  elements 
that  are  well  worthy  of  enmlation. 

Mr.  Simons  was  born  in  Prussia,  August 
2\.  \S^.2,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  P)arbara  (Ru- 
mir.sbaugh)  Simons,  who  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  that  country.  The  mother  died  in 
1835,  and  the  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by 


occupation,  passed  .''.\\a_\-  after  the  enngra- 
tion  of  his  son  Jose])h  to  the  new  world. 
Ihere  were  but  two  children  in  the  family, 
the  daughter  being  Susanna,  who  lived  and 
died  in   Prussia,  leaxing  a  family. 

Josejjb  Simons  acquired  a  common  school 
education  and  afterward  ser\-ed  an  appren- 
ticeship to  the  baker's  trade,  following  that 
pursuit  as  a  journeyman  in  his  native  coun- 
try for  four  years.  Tn  1857  he  determined 
to  come  to  America  and  took  passage  on  a 
westward  liound  sailing  vessel  belonging  to 
the  Lloyd  steamship  line,  on  wdiich  he  made 
the  voyage  from  Antwerp  to  New  York.  It 
t(^ok  fi\-e  weeks  to  make  the  tri])  and  for 
twenty-two  days  verv  severe  weather  was 
encountered.  He  came  at  once  to  Illinois 
and  secured  work  on  the  seminary  at  Au- 
rora, which  was  then  l^eing  builded.  He  af- 
terward s]jent  a  few  months  on  a  farm. 
working  for  thirteen  dollars  per  month  and 
next  engaged  to  work  for  a  year  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  Menard  county, 
being  thus  employed  from  1858  until  the  out- 
break of  .the  Civil  war.  In  August,  1862, 
he  responded  to  the  call  of  his  adopted  coun- 
try for  aid  and  enlisted  in  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Illinois  Infantry, 
with  which  he  went  to  Cairo  under  Captain 
Mallorv.  He  ser\ed  throughout  the  Vicks- 
hurg  ciunpaign  and  was  present  at  the  sm'- 
render  of  that  southern  stronghold,  July  4, 
1863.  He  was  in  the  two  battles  of  Jack- 
son, Afississipi^,  and  at  (luntown,  January 
12,  1864,  he  met  with  a  serious  injury,  hav- 
ing his  arm  shattered  by  a  musket  ball.  The 
member  was  ani])utated  above  the  elbow  a 
few  da\s  later.  ( )n  account  of  being  dis- 
abled he  was  also  taken  ])risoiKM-  by  the  Rel)- 
els  rmd  the  operation  was  i)erformed  by  a 
Confederate  surge(Mi  in  the  hos|)ital  at  AFo 
bile.  Alabama.  After  his  partial  recovery 
he  was  sent  to  ]\lacon,  Georgia,  and  thence 


JOSEPH   SIMONS 


MRS.  JOSEPH  SIMONS 


CPIRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


4(; 


)  i 


to  Anclersonville.  wliere  he  was  imprisoned 
for  four  months  or  until  ahout  the  close  of 
the  war.  Upon  his  release  he  made  his  way 
lo  Vickshurg-  and  was  there  the  night  the 
news  of  Lresident  Lincoln's  assassination 
was  received.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
was  sent  to  St.  Louis,  thence  to  Camp  But- 
ler and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, in  August,  1865.  He  was  ever  a  brave 
and  loyal  soldier  and  his  military  experience 
is  one  of  which  he  has  e\'ery  reason  to  be 
proud. 

Returning  to  Menard  county  Mr.  Simons 
settled  up  his  affairs  there  and  'Started  out 
in  search  of  a  location.  His  choice  fell  upon 
Assumption,  then  a  small  village,  in  which 
he  opened  a  little  restaurant,  Deceml)er  g, 
1865.  The  folli^wing  year  he  began  build- 
ing- a  store  and  added  to  his  restaurant  a 
grocery  department,  carrying  on  business 
there  until  his  store  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
He  at  once  rebuilt,  however,  and  resumed 
operations.  In  May.  1880,  he  sold  out  and 
bought  a  half  block  on  Hickory  street,  on 
which  he  erected  a  fine  residence  in  1890-T. 
In  1891-2  he  built  two  stores  and  also  be- 
came part  owner  in  the  opera  house,  a  mam- 
moth brick  l)uilding,  which  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1901.  Since  then  he  has  sold  his 
lots  in  Assumption  and  has  invested  in  farm- 
ing lands,  located  in  Assumption  and  Locust 
t<nvnships.  Christian  county.  He  began 
])uying  land  in  1867  and  now  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six  acres  on  section  27,  one 
hundred  an.d  sixty  on  section  33,  and  two 
liundred  acres  on  section  16,  Assumption 
township;  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  tt.  Locust  townslii]).  his  aggre- 
gate holdings  being  seven  Innidred  and 
eighty-six  acres.  The  first  tract  was  all  raw 
when  it  came  into  his  possession,  but  he  tiled 
and  drained  it  and  as  he  boue-ht  his  other 


farms  he  placed  them  all  in  a  culti\al)1e  con- 
dition and  they  are  now  xaluable  pro])ert)'. 
His  children  are  now  living  upon  his  five 
farms,  and  his  land  is  considered  among 
the  best  in  the  county,  bringing  to  the  owner 
a  very  gratifying  financial  return. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1867,  Air.  Sim- 
ons was  married  to  Miss  Flora  ]\I.  Bickner, 
a  native  of  New  York,  who  came  to  Illinois 
in  her  childhood  days  with  her  father.  Ed- 
\vard  Bickner,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
the  county.  In  the  family  were  five  chil- 
dren :  Jennie,  wife  of  Michael  Donovan,  of 
.Assumption,  lives  on  section  33,  and  has 
seven  living  children  and  has  lost  one.  Jo- 
seph married  Mrs.  White,  a  widow,  and 
lives  on  section  16,  Assumption  townshi]). 
Jact)b,  named  for  his  grandfather,  married 
Margaret  Ryan,  has  three  children  and  re- 
sides on  section  ly.  Assumption  township. 
Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  Ryan,  by  whom 
she  has  four  children,  and  their  hoipe  is  on 
section  11,  Locust  township.  William  wed- 
ded Mary  Betner  and  also  resides  on  section 
2'y,  Assumption  township. 

Mr.  Simons,  his  wife  and  sons  and 
daughters  are  all  members  of  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  church  of  Assumption.  He  has 
been  one  of  its  trustees  for  a  number  of  years 
and  assisted  materially  in  building  the  new 
house  of  worship  and  also  St.  Mary's  Cath- 
olic school,  which  is  conducted  by  the  Do- 
minican sisters.  In  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  Democrat  and  on  one  occasion  served 
as  alderman  of  Assumption,  but  otherwise 
has  neither  .sought  (m-  desired  public  office. 
He  .started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  vears.  and  in  the  business  w<M-ld 
he  has  achieved  both  success  and  an  honor- 
able name.  He  came  to  America  to  become 
an  American  citizen  and  no  native  son  of 
this   land    is    more   loval    to   the    stars   and 


24 


468 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


stripes  nnd  to  our  r('])iil)lican  form  of  t;o\- 
crnnu'iil  than  is  tliis  honored  \-eleraii  of  the 
(*i\-il  war. 


ROBERT  ^TORRTSON. 

Robert  Morrison,  who  is  one  of  the  lead 
ing  and  influential  eitizens  of  Assumption 
and  the  present  chairman  of  the  hoard  of 
supervisors,  was  born  in  Morris  county,  New 
Jersey,  November  25,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Phoebe  (WyckofT)  Morrison. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland  but  the 
mother  was  a  Pennsylvania-German  bv 
birth.  Tn  1855  they  brouoht  their  family 
to  Plinois  and  tirst  located  at  Springfield, 
Sangamon  county.  Tn  1875  they  removed 
to  Virden,  Macoupin  county,  where  they 
continued  to  make  their  home  throughout 
the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the  father  dying 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  and 
the  mother  in  April,  1897.  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five.  They  had  six  children,  three 
sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  mar- 
ried. 

During  his  boyhood  Robert  Morrison  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Virden  and 
v.dien  not  in  school  assisted  his  father  in  the 
lalxirs  of  the  farm,  remaining  a  resident  of 
Virden  until  1875.  when  he  removed  to 
Christian  comity.  For  several  years  he  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  Assump- 
tion, first  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Foster, 
Hutchinson  &  Company,  and  later  was  in 
partnership  with  S.  M.  Coonrod  and  j.  C. 
Henry  at  different  times.  Since  1891  he 
has  held  a  position  with  the  firm  of  Cushing 
&  Sons,  general  merchants  of  Assumption. 

In  February,  1867,  at  Virden,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Morrison  married  Miss  Bridget  Cooney, 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  two  children  :  Mary 
E.,  at  home  with  her  parents ;  and  Marguer- 
ite, wife  of  Earl  W.  Hight.     Boih  are  grad- 


uates f)f  the  ])ublic  schools  of  Assumption. 
The  family  is  prominent  socially  and  they 
hold  membership  in  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
church. 

Tn  his  political  views  Mr.  Morrison  is  a 
l)ronounced  Democrat  and  he  has  been  hon- 
orded  with  several  important  official  posi- 
tions, the  duties  of  which  he  has  most  cap- 
ably and  satisfactorily  discharged.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  old  village  board  in  early 
(lavs  and  has  since  served  on  the  city  coun- 
cil. In  1888  he  was  elected  highway  com- 
missioner and  two  years  later  was  elected 
county  supervisor,  which  office  he  has  since 
filled  with  the  exception  of  one  term.  For 
four  terms  he  has  been  chairman  of  the 
board  and  is  now  serving  as  such.  He  has 
also  been  a  director  of  the  Building  &  Loan 
Asspciation  since  its  organization  about  fif- 
teen years  ago  and  has  always  been  found 
true  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him. 


O.  Z.  HOUSLEY. 

O.  Z.  Housley  is  one  of  the  strong  repre- 
sentatives of  banking  interests  in  Christian 
county  and  sustains  an  unassailable  reputa- 
tion in  financial  circles  in  which  he  has  won 
success  as  well  as  an  honored  name.  His 
advancement  to  his  present  position  has  been 
continuous  from  a  humble  place  in  the  busi- 
ness world,  for  he  started  out  in  life  upon 
an  independent  venture  with  a  capital  of  only 
forty  dollars.  His  history  demonstrates  his 
force  of  character,  keen  discernment  and 
recognition  of  business  possibilities  as  well 
as  a  utilization  of  existing  conditions  in  trade 
circles. 

Mr.  Housley  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth 
having  occurred  near  Canton,  in  185 1.  His 
parents  were  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Uh- 
rich)  Housley,  the  former  a  native  of  Mary- 
land while  the  latter  was  born  near  Lancas- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


469 


ter,  Pennsylvania.  When  their  son  was  bnt 
five  years  of  age  they  left  their  home  in  Ohio 
and  came  to  Illinois,  settlings  in  Christian 
county  in  June,  1856,  where  he  has  since 
remained  with  the  exception  of  a  brief 
period.  The  father  is  now  living  retired  in 
Taylorville.  Our  subject's  educational  privi- 
leges were  limited  to  the  opportunities  af- 
forded by  the  common  schools  of  the  county 
and  to  one  term's  attendance  in  a  high  school 
at  Mitchellville,  Iowa,  near  Des  Moines, 
when  he  was  eighteen  vears  of  age.  In  the 
school  of  experience  he  has  learned  many 
valuable  lessons,  and  has  progressed  along 
intellectual  lines  as  well  as  in  the  business 
world,  as  does  every  typical  American  citi- 
zen—keeping fully  abreast  of  the  times.  Not 
desiring  to  follow  the  plow,  he  conceived 
the  idea  of  entering"  mercantile  life  and 
formulated  a  plan  which  he  proposed  to  his 
parents,  hoping  to  gain  their  financial  assist- 
ance. In  this  he  failed,  however,  and  here 
his  resolute  spirit  and  enterprising  nature 
were  manifest.  Not  deterred  by  the  failure 
to  gain  his  father's  help,  he  embarked  in  the 
hardware  business  upon  a  cash  capital  of 
only  forty  dollars,  which  he  had  himself 
earned.  Soon  he  was  enabled  to  increase 
his  stock  and  the  enterprise  prospered  from 
the  beginning.  When  the  father  saw  that 
the  son  was  accomplishing  what  he  had  un- 
dertaken to  do,  he  joined  him  in  a  partner- 
ship and  to  the  hardware  store  were  soon 
added  various  other  departments  and  the 
business  became  a  paying'  one  of  Grove  City, 
Illinois,  conducted  under  the  name  of  Hous- 
ley  &  Son.  Later  the  father  sold  his  interest 
to  his  brother  and  Dr.  Harvey,  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  also  became  a  partner,  at 
which  time  the  firm  name  of  Har\'ey  &  Com- 
pany w^as  assumed.  The  business  prospered 
but  in  1 88 1  the  health  of  Dr.  Harvev  failed 
and  Cornelis  Drake,  coming  to  the  west,  pur- 


chased his  interest  and  the  present  firm  of 
Housley  &  Drake  was  then  formed.  These 
gentlemen  have  since  continued  in  business. 
At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  pres- 
ent firm  the  public  demanded  that  they  add 
a  banking  department  to  their  mercantile  en- 
terprise and  this  they  did.  In  1893  a  similar 
business  was  established  in  Stonington  and 
soon  the  business  grew  to  such  extensive  pro- 
portions that  the  firm  found  it  necessary  to 
dispose  of  their  store  in  Grove  City,  all  ex- 
cept the  banking  department  in  order  to  give 
more  of  their  attention  to  the  Stonington 
bank  and  store.  Their  bank,  known  as  the 
Exchange  Bank  of  Housley  &  Drake,  was 
organized  in  1893  and  capitalized  for  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  The  volume  of  the  busi- 
ness annually  transacted  over  their  counters 
has  reached  a  large  figure  and  the  establish- 
ment is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
financial  concerns  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

On  the  13th  of  October,  1873,  Mr.  Hous- 
ley was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Victoria 
Reese,  a  native  of  eastern  Pennsylvania,  and 
thev  have  four  children :  Maud,  and  Flora 
and  Frances,  twins,  all  living  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri ;  and  Caretta  M.,  at  home.  In  1896 
Mr.  Housley  removed  to  Stonington,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  is  not  only  the 
president  of  the  Exchange  Bank  but  is  act- 
ively connected  with  interests  having  direct 
bearing  upon  Stonington  in  other  lines.  As 
a  citizen  he  is  public-spirited  and  enterpris- 
ing and  has  been  a  co-operant  factor  in  many 
measures  for  the  public  good.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church,  an  exemplary 
follower  of  Masonry,  belonging  to  Taylor- 
ville Lodge  No.  12.2,  and  one  of  the  chief 
officers  in  the  Royal  Circle.  His  genial  man- 
ner, his  kindly  spirit,  his  unfailing  courtesy 
and  his  deference  for  the  opinions  of  others 
render  him  a  popular  citizen  of  his  adopted 
county. 


470 


i'AST  AM)   I 'RESENT 


T.   J.    PIERPOINT. 

f.  J.  IMcnxiint.  wlio  is  eiii^ai^'C'il  in  llic  real 
estate,  loan  and  insnrance  Inisiness  in  I'ana. 
was  born  in  Morgantown.  West  Virginia, 
Xoveml)er  3.  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Sylvanns 
E.  and  S.  .\.  Pierpoint.  His  father  was  also 
a  native  of  Morgantown  ruid  serxed  in  the 
ci\il  service  (hiring  the  Cixil  war.  In  the 
A-ear  i868.  however,  he  left  West  Virginia 
and  made  his  way  to  Shelhy  county.  Illinois, 
locating  in  Oconee.  He  is  a  farmer  and  is 
still  li\ing  at  the  place  of  his  tirst  location, 
his  entire  life  having  heen  dex'oted  to  the 
tilling  of  the  soil,  so  that  his  record  is  one 
of  n.sefnlness  and  acti\ity.  His  wife  passed 
awa}-  in  1894. 

To  the  public  school  system  of  Shelby 
county,  Illinois,  J.  J.  Pier])oint  is  indebted 
for  the  educational  privileges  he  enjoyed. 
At  the  usual  age  he  entered  school  and  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  worked 
his  way  through  the  Clem  City  Business  Col- 
lege, of  Ouinc\'.  Illinois,  earning  the  monev 
to  pay  his  tuition  by  work  as  a  farm  hand. 
The  elemental  strength  of  his  character  and 
his  laudable  ambition  were  shown  in  his  de- 
sire for  an  education  and  ga\c  ])rfimise  of  a 
successful  career  in  later  life.  On  the  27th 
of  August,  1889.  he  came  to  l\-ui;i,  where  he 
entered  upon  his  business  career  in  the  ca- 
pacitv  of  bookkeeper  for  the  Penwell  Coal 
Compan_\',  which  position  he  held  for  eight 
years.  He  then  became  secretary  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Savings,  Loan  &  Building  Association, 
which  ]XJsition  he  now  holds.  In  \i^^)y  he 
1)e2:<ui  handlin<.'"  real  estate  and  doing  an  in- 
surance  lousiness  as  well,  lie  has  secured  a 
large  clientage,  h.andles  much  jjroperty  and 
has  negotiated  many  imi)ortant  real  estate 
transfers.  Pie  deals  in  farm  lands  in  all 
l)arts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  also 
handles    some    valuable    coal    and    mineral 


rights.  lie  ])laces  and  .solicits  loans  and 
writes  considerable  insurance  annually,  so 
thai  his  business  has  become  important  and 
remunerative. 

On  the  14th  of  Decem1)er.  1893.  Mr.  Pier- 
])oint  was  un.ited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie 
Orr.  a  dauy-hter  of  [ohn  Orr,  of  Pana,  and 
ihev  ha\e  one  son,  John  Orr  Pierpoint.  The 
])arents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Mr.  TMerpoint  is  also  a  lead- 
ing and  \ahiable  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star, 
the  Eraternal  Army,  the  Fraternal  Aid  and 
the  Royal  Arcanum,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
and  the  Knights  oi  Pythias,  having  become 
a  charter  member  of  the  Royal  .\rcanum. 
His  political  support  is  given  the  Republican 
party  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  h'or  one 
term  he  served  as  city  treasurer  and  although 
he  has  not  been  active  in  office  he  has  been 
interested  in  public  affairs  in  other  ways  and 
has  co-operated  in  the  work  for  the  sub- 
stantial upbuilding  and  material  develop- 
ment of  the  city  and  county.  He  is  one  of 
Pana's  ardent  advt)cates  and  aside  from  his 
business  affairs  has  done  much  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  city.  He  has  a  large  circle 
of  friends  here,  many  of  whom  have  known 
him  from  his  boyhood,  and  his  social  quali- 
ties render  him  i)opular  with  the  great  ma- 
jority of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact. 


PHILIP   EBERT. 


Phili])  I'^bert,  a  substantial  and  progressive 
farmer  living  on  section  6,  Rosamond  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Germany,  February  4< 
183  I ,  and  is  a  son  of  ]\Iichael  and  Katherine 
Ebert.  both,  now  deceased.  On  coming  to 
.\merica  they  settled  in  St.  Louis,  .\[issouri. 
Bv  occujiation  the  father  was  a  carpenter. 
Jn  the   family  were  two  sons:      Philip  and 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


471 


his  brother  John  Henry,  now  a  resident  of 
Cahfornia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and 
educated  in  his  native  land  and  after  leaving 
school  he  worked  on  a  farm,  thus  early  ac- 
quiring a  good  practical  knowledge  of  the 
occupation  which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life 
work.  He  was  fourteen  years  of  age  on  the 
emigration  of  the  family  to  America.  In 
the  fall  of  1857,  he  removed  to  McLean 
county,  Illinois,  and  in  the  spring  of  1859 
came  to  Christian  county,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  After  renting  a  farm  in 
Locust  township  for  one  season  he  removed 
to  his  present  farm  on  section  6,  Rosamond 
township,  the  same  year.  When  it  came  into 
his  possession  it  was  all  raw  prairie  land 
with  the  exception  of  eleven  acres  which 
were  under  cultivation,  and  to  its  further  de- 
velopment and  improvement  he  has  since 
devoted  his  energies,  converting  it  into  a 
very  desirable  farm.  His  first  home  here 
was  a  little  shanty  sixteen  by  thirty-two  feet, 
which  in  1873  was  replaced  l)y  a  good  brick 
residence  but  the  latter  place  together  with 
most  of  its  contents  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  February,  1900.  Mr.  Elbert  at  once  re- 
built and  now  has  a  very  comfortable  and 
attractive  home,  together  with  good  and  sub- 
stantial barns  and  outbuildings. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1853,  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Ebert  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Pauline  Fisher,  who  was  born 
in  Phillipsburg,  Pennsylvania,  March  19, 
1832,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Katherine  (Krets)  Fisher,  also  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  For  a  short  time  after  their 
marriage  they  lived  in  Ohio  before  coming 
to  Illinois.  Three  sons  have  been  born  to 
them.  Frederick  C,  who  resides  on  section 
5,  Rosamond  township,  married  Isabel 
Barker  and  has  four  children :  May.  now 
the  wife  of  ^^^alter  Stevens,  a  resident  of 


Kansas,  by  whom  she  has  one  child ;  Minnie 
Belle;  ^Vi]liam  and  Roy.  Charles  W.,  whose 
home  is  on  section  6,  Rosamond  township, 
married  Esther  Johnson  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Maud  and  A^iolet.  B.  F.,  who  lives 
with  his  parents,  married  E\-a  Butlerfield 
and  has  one  child. 

Buth  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ebert  are  members  of 
the    Buckeye    Methodist    Episco])al    church 
and  he  also  holds  membership  in  Owaneco 
Lodge,  No.   223,  A.   F.  &  A.   M.     During 
their  early  residence  in  this  county  they  un- 
derwent many  of  the  experiences  of  pioneer 
life.     For  a  couple  of  years  after  their  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Ebert  did  considera1)le  spinning 
and  made  a  couple  of  coverlets.     She  made 
her  first  coverlet  when  only  seventeen  years 
of  age.     She  has  often  sheared  the  sheep  and 
then  prepared  the  wool  for  spinning.     Dur- 
ino-  her  earlv  married  life  she  also  did  con- 
siderable  knitting  for  her  family.     In  those 
days  Mr.  Ebert  hauled  most  of  his  corn  to 
Vandalia,    camping    out    at    night    on    the 
prairie,  and   on  arri\ing  at   his  destination 
could  only  get  twenty-five  cents  per  bushel. 
He  made   the  first   rail    fence   on   Buckeye 
Prairie.     Being"  a  man  of  progressive  ideas, 
his  farm  has  always  been  thoroughly  up-to- 
date  in  all  its  appointments.     He  owned  the 
first  reaper  and  the  first  binder  brought  to 
his  locality  and  also  bought  the  first  sewing- 
machine  and  the  first  coal  oil  lamp,  paying 
fifty  cents  per  gallon   for  oil  at  that  time. 
His  life  has  been  one  of  industry  and  useful- 
ness and  he  has  not  only  gained  for  himself 
and    familv   a   comfortable   competence   but 
has   also  won   the   friendship   and   high   re- 
gard of  all  who  know  him. 


CHRISTIAN   WENZLER. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  1903,  there  passed 
away  one  of  Bear  Creek's  honored  and  most 
highly  respected  citizens — Christian  Wenz- 


472 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ler,  who  had  made  his  home  here  for  over 
thirty  years  and  was  prominently  identified 
with  the  agricuUural  interests  of  the  town- 
slii]).  He  w^as  horn  in  Wurtemhnrg-,  Ger- 
many, December  14,  1828,  and  was  a  son 
of  Joseph  and  Monica  (Haller)  VVenzler, 
who  spent  their  entire  hves  in  that  country 
I  lis  ])aternal  grandfather  was  George  Wenz- 
ler,  who  was  a  caljinet  maker  h\  trade  and 
was  a  fine  musician.  He  reared  a  large  fam- 
ily of  children  and  died  at  about  the  age  of 
fifty-five  years.  Joseph  Wenzler,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  a  musician  in  the  regu- 
lar standing  army  of  Germany,  and  by  occu- 
pation was  a  w  ood-turner  and  cabinet-maker. 
He  died  in  his  native  land  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years,  and  his  wife  passed  aw^ay  some  years 
previous.  Their  family  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Christian  and  Paulina, 
both  deceased;  Kate;  Mary  Ann,  also  de- 
ceased; Magdalene;  Bertha,  deceased;  Lud- 
wig;  Stephen,  deceased;  John  ;  and  one  wdio 
died  in  infancy. 

Christian  Wenzler  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  land  and  under  his 
father's  direction  learning  cabinet-making 
and  wood-turning  during  his  youth.  He 
continued  to  follow  those  vocations  until  the 
age  of  twenty-eight  years,  when  he  was 
obliged  to  abandon  them  on  account  of  fail- 
ing eyesight.  Resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in 
the  new^  world,  he  crossed  the  ocean  in  1850 
and  first  located  in  Pike  county,  Pennsyl- 
\ania,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  In  the 
fall  of  1853  he  removed  to  Indiana  and  the 
following  year  located  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, w^here  he  followed  various  occupations 
for  six  years.  In  i860  he  commenced  farm- 
ing on  rented  land  in  Pawnee  township, 
Sangamon  county,  where  he  spent  the  suc- 
ceeding eleven  years.  Coming  to  Christian 
county  in  1871  he  invested  in  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Bear  Creek  town- 


ship and  subsequcnlly  bought  more  land, 
having  two  hundred  acres  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  i860,  Mr.  Wenzler 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hester  Ann 
Staley,  a  n?.tive  of  Kentucky  and  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Fokes)  Staley.  By 
this  union  were  born  nine  children :  William 
T.,  Louis  C,  Joseph  E.,  Mary  Ann,  Ida 
Belle,  Laura,  Ella,  Rosetta  L.,  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy.  All  are  now  deceased,  with 
the  exception  of  Joseph  E.,  whose  sketch 
follows  this ;  and  Ida  Belle,  who  married 
Sheldon  Fitch  and  now  li\'es  in  Michigan. 
The  mother  of  these  children  departed  this 
life  in  1878. 

Mr.  Wenzler  took  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  was  called  upon  to  fill  the 
offices  of  commissioner  of  highways,  school 
director  and  trustee  for  several  years  each. 
In  his  death  the  community  realized  that  it 
had  lost  a  valued  and  useful  citizen,  for  he 
was  highly  esteemed  by  his  neighbors  and 
friends,  and  was  unquestionably  a  man  of 
high  character  and  unblemished  reputation. 


JOSEPH   E.    WENZLER. 

Among  the  young  men  of  Christian  coun- 
ty who  are  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising  is  Joseph  E. 
Wenzler,  who  is  carrying  on  operations  on 
section  35,  Bear  Creek  township.  He  was 
born  in  the  house  in  wdiich  he  still  lives, 
January  24,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian 
Wenzler,  wdiose  sketch  precedes  this.  He 
was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  early 
acquired  a  thorough  and  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  all  the  duties  which  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  is  now  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine  farm- 
ing land  where  he-  resides  and  also  has  an 
interest  in  the  Palmer  Brick  &  Tile  Com- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


473 


pany  and  owns  a  house  and  two  lots  in  the 
villase  of  Pahner.  In  connection  with  the 
cultivation  of  his  farm  Mr.  Wenzler  is  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  breeding  Poland 
China  hogs  and  white  faced  cattle. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1898,  was  cele- 
brated his  marriage  to  Miss  Edith  B.  Range, 
a  daughter  of  Bruce  and  Elizabeth  (Lemas- 
ter)  Range;  the  former  now  resides  in  Tay- 
lorville  and  the  latter  died  October  12,  1890, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years,  ten  months 
and  seven  days.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Tennessee  and  came  to  Christian  county  in 
1 88 1,  being  for  eight  years  proprietor  of  the 
Range  brick  and  tile  yard  at  Taylorville. 
He  reared  five  children,  namely :  Bert  G., 
Edith  B.,  Wilbur  N.,  Lucy  I.  and  Charles  S. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wenzler  have  three  children, 
namely:  Edwin  Bert,  Marcella  Lucile  and 
Roena. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Wenzler  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
Royal  Neighbors  and  politically  he  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  very 
progressive  and  energetic  business  man  and 
is  meeting  with  creditable  success  in  his  un- 
dertakings. 


HENRY   W.    JOHNSON. 

Henry  W.  Johnson  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  popular  residents  as  well  as  en- 
terprising business  men  of  Taylorville.  As 
a  real  estate  and  insurance  agent  he  is  well 
known  and  annually  does  a  large  amount  of 
business  which  has  made  him  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial residents  of  this  city.  He  was  born 
in  Christian  county,  Kentucky,  on  the  i8th 
of  August,  1844,  a  son  of  John  W.  and 
Sarah  Elizabeth  (Hardy)  Johnson.  His 
paternal  grandfather.  William  Johnson,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  removed  to 
Kentuckv,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  set- 


tlers of  the  state.  He  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation and  continued  to  engage  in  that 
pursuit  in  the  Blue  Grass  state  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was 
fifty-seven  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Blakeley,  was 
also  a  representative  of  an  old  Virginia  fam- 
ily, and  died  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years. 

John  W.  Johnson,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Christian  county,  Ken- 
tucky, and  first  married  Sarah  Elizabeth 
Hardy,  also  a  native  of  that  county  and  a 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Polly  (Adkinson) 
Hardy,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. She  died  in  1857  and  Mr.  Johnson 
afterward  wedded  Hollen  Hardy,  a  cousin 
of  his  first  wife.  His  death  occurred  when 
he  was  sixty-six  years  of  age  and  his  second 
wife  passed  away  in  1878.  By  the  first  mar- 
riage he  had  four  children :  William  L., 
who  is  still  living  in  Christian  county,  Ken- 
tucky; Henry  W. ;  George  H.,  a  resident  of 
Henderson  county,  Kentucky;  and  John 
C.  B.,  who  was  born  in  1836  and  died  in 
1868.  There  were  two  children  by  the 
father's  second  marriage :  Sallie  Elizabeth, 
the  wdfe  of  Henry  Nolan;  and  Ihomas  B., 
a  resident  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Kentucky  Henry 
W.  Johnson  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  and  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  and  the  subscription  schools.  In 
April,  1867,  he  came  to  Christian  county, 
Illinois,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-two 
years,  desirous  of  winning  success  in  busi- 
ness through  enterprise  and  strong  deter- 
mination. He  first  engaged  in  farming  in 
Johnson  township,  following  that  pursuit 
until  the  fall  of  1870,  when  he  removed  to 
Clarksdale,  this  county.  In  the  fall  of  1890 
he  was  elected  county  sheriff  upon  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket  for  a  term  of  four  vears'  and 


474 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


in  the  office  he  proved  himself  most  worthy 
of  the  trust  reposed  in  him,  by  his  prompt, 
fearless  and  faithful  performance  of  the 
duties  that  (le\-olved  up(jn  him.  J  le  had  pre- 
\i(iuslv  served  as  constable  for  four  years 
and  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  similar  period,, 
and  his  official  career  has  always  been  most 
commendable.  On  his  retirement  from  the 
position  of  sheriff,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  real  estate  busines  and  has  since  nego- 
tiated a  numl)er  of  important  property  trans- 
fers. He  also  does  considerable  business  as 
an  insurance  agent,  representing  a  number 
of  the  old  reliable  companies. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1866,  Mr. 
Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sarah  Angeline  P.  Pool,  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam T.  P.  Pool,  of  Trigg  county,  Kentucky, 
and  unto  them  have  been  born  the  following 
children :  John  William,  Nora  Etta,  Lloyd 
Paschal,  Ada  ]\Iabel  and  \\\alter  Ross,  but 
the  last  named  died  March  24,  1901,  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years.  Since  1878  Mr.  John- 
son has  been  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woochnen  Camp.  He  is  also  identified  with 
the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  Fraternal  Army. 
He  became  a  charter  member  of  Clarksdale 
Camp,  M.  \\'.  A.,  and  for  three  years  he 
was  its  venerable  counsel.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  P.vthias  hxlge  of  Tav- 
lorx'ille.  He  is  a  man  of  tine  social  f[ua]ities, 
courteous,  affable  and  genial  in  manner,  and 
he  has  gained  a  wide  circle  of  friends  during 
his  residence  in  Christian  countv. 


GEORGE  A.  PARISH. 

One  of  the  honored  and  highly  esteemed 
citizens  of  Mount  Auburn  is  George  A. 
Parisli,  who  was  for  many  years  actively 
identified  with  the  industrial  and  agricul- 
tural interests  of  this  county  1)ut  is  now  prac- 
tically  living   a    retired    life,    enjoying   the 


fruits  of  former  toil.  He  was  born  in 
Bloomington,  Monroe  county,  Indiana,  Sep- 
teml)er  22,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Eli  H.  and 
Eliza  (Reeves)  Parish,  both  natives  of 
Kentucky,  the  former  born  in  Bardstown  and 
the  latter  near  that  city.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Kentucky  and  from  that  state  re- 
moved to  Indiana  about  the  year  1827,  the 
trip  being  made  by  way  of  the  Ohio  river  on 
a  flatboat.  They  were  accompanied  1)y  their 
respective  parents,  the  families  locating  in 
Owen  and  Monroe  counties,  Indiana.  Our 
subject's  father  was  a  stone-mason  and 
brick-layer  by  trade,  but  after  his  removal  to 
the  Hoosier  state  ])urchased  a  section  of  land 
in  Owen  county  in  1832  and  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming  for  six  years.  He  then 
resumed  work  at  his  trade  in  Bloomington, 
Indiana,  and  as  a  contractor  erected  many 
residences,  store  buildings,  churches  and 
schoolhouses  at  that  place  during  the  follow- 
ing five  years.  His  father-in-law  having 
died  he  then  removed  to  the  old  Reeves 
homestead  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until 
185 1,  which  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
Illinois.  He  first  located  six  miles  west  of 
Springfield,  where  he  carried  on  farming  un- 
til Septeml)er,  1852,  when  he  removed  to 
Mount  Auburn  and  purchased  property  at 
that  place.  There  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject died  in  October,  1854,  but  the  father 
and  children  continued  on  the  farm  until 
1855,  when  they  removed  to  Taylorville. 
There  the  father  lived  retired  until  called  to 
his  final  rest  in  July,  1856.  He  was  official- 
ly connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  took  an  active  part  in  its  work. 
In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a 
Republican. 

His  family  consisted  of  nine  children, 
those  still  living  being  Benjamin,  now^  a  res- 
ident of  Oklahoma;  George  A.,  of  this  re- 
view; Josephine,  wife  of  Benjamin  Fiefield, 


«• 

i 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


47: 


of  Tacoma,  Nebraska ;  Austin,  a  resident  of 
Taylorville;  Robert,  who  makes  his  home  in 
IlHnois ;  and  Charles,  a  half-brother  of  our 
subject,  now  living  in  Springfield. 

George  A.  Parish  began  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Bloomington,  Indiana, 
and  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  this 
state,  attended  the  district  schools  of  Sanga- 
mon county  during  their  residence  there. 
He  was  next  a  student  in  the  Mount  Au- 
burn school  under  Professor  William  Sharp. 
On  leaving  school  at  the  .age  of  sixteen  years 
he  began  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
serving  a  three  years'  apprenticeship  under 
Jacob  Wise,  and  for  his  services  he  received 
fifty  dollars  per  year  and  his  board.  Out  of 
liis  three  years'  salary  he  managed  to  save 
ninety  dollars.  The  following  year  he 
worked  at  his  trade  in  the  employ  of  others 
and  then  bought  a  sh-.jp  on  the  top  of  Mount 
Auburn  hill  of  Ezekiel  Sargent.  There  he 
carried  on  blacksmithing  alone  for  six 
months  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  formed  a 
partnership  with  John  Mitchell,  this  connec- 
tion continuing  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Mitchell.  He 
was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age.  After 
settling  up  his  affairs  he  found  that  he  had 
thirteen  dollars  remaining  and  on  this  cap- 
ital he  "ot  married.  He  next  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  blacksmith  shop,  and 
through  the  fall  and  winter  worked  there 
without  any  roof  to  the  building,  having 
borrowed  tools  of  Abraham  Henshie,  now  of 
Taylorville.  In  i860  he  bought  out  the 
firm  of  AA'ise  &  Barnett,  the  senior  member 
l3eing  his  former  employer,  and  he  then 
formed  a  partnership  with  Ezekiel  Sargent, 
who  was  a  wagon-maker.  This  relation 
was  maintained  until  1872,  when  Mr.  Par- 
ish accidently  lost  the  sight  of  one  eye,  being 
struck  by  a  piece  of  iron  breaking  from  his 
hammer.      Selling  his  interest  in   the  busi- 


ness to  his  partner's  son,  John  Sargent,  he 
purchased  fifty-five  acres  of  land  in  an  un- 
improved part  of  Auburn,  paying  sixty-five 
dollars  per  acre  for  the  same,  which  was  the 
highest  ]:)rice  paid  for  land  in  the  locality  at 
that  time.  Although  he  went  in  debt  for  the 
first  payment,  he  had  it  all  paid  for  from  the 
profit  of  three  crops  raised  thereon.  Mr. 
Parish  lost  on  the  investment,  however,  as 
he  sold  the  land  in  1875  for  fifty-four  dol- 
lars per  acre.  He  next  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  south  of  Mount 
Auburn  on  section  13,  Mount  Auburn  town- 
ship, and  he  successfully  engaged  in  the  op- 
eration of  that  farm  until  1881,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Mount  Auburn.  Here  he  has  since 
resided  and  is  the  owner  of  a  nice  comfort- 
able residence. 

On  the  15th  of  September,  1859,  in  Tay- 
lor\-ille,  Mr.  Parish  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Narcissa  Stockton,  who  was  born 
six  miles  west  of  Mount  Auburn,  August  7, 
1839.  Her  father,  Ira  Stockton,  was  born 
near  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  in  that  state 
married  Ruth  Fuget,  also  a  native  of  that 
state.  About  1832  they  came  to  Illinois  and 
after  spending  a  few  3^ears  on  a  farm  near 
Beardsto\\n,  they  removed  to  Mechanics- 
burg,  where  Mr.  Stockton  purchased  land. 
About  1855  he  located  four  miles  northwest 
of  Decatur,  where  his  wife  died  three  years 
later,  l)ut  he  continued  to  reside  there  until 
1879,  at  which  time  he  became  an  inmate  of 
our  subject's  home,  living  there  until  his 
death  November  28.  1891.  He  was  an  earn- 
est member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views.  Of  his  nine  children  only  four  are 
now  living,  namely :  Maranda,  wife  of  B. 
¥.  Lanham,  of  Decatur ;  Mary,  widow  of 
John  Hummel  and  a  resident  of  Seattle, 
Washington;  Narcissa,  wife  of  our  subject; 
and  Richard,  a  resident  of  California. 


478 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Unto  Mr.  and  Airs.  Parish  have  been  born 
tlie  following  chilch-en  :  Henry,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Harristown,  JlHnois.  married 
Fannie  Lewis  and  has  two  chikh'en.  Ella 
married  Charles  Tankersley  and  died  Octo- 
ber 2,  1902.  leaving  two  sons.  Charles,  who 
lives  on  a  farm  near  Blue  Mound,  married 
Amanda  Augur  and  has  four  children. 
George  R.,  who  also  resides  on  a  farm  near 
Blue  Mound,  married  Mattie  Law  and  has 
two  children.  Augustus  married  Emma 
Lewis,  by  whom  he  has  two  children  and 
they  live  on  a  farm  near  Mount  Auburn. 
James  B.  married  Nellie  Augur  and  resides 
five  miles  west  of  Mount  Auburn.  Nellie 
is  the  wife  of  John  Eottrell  and  has  two  chil- 
dren.    Their  home  is  near  Mount  Auburn. 

In  i860  Mr.  Parish  was  made  a  Mason 
and  is  now  a  member  of  Kedron  Lodere  No. 
340,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  served  as  worship- 
ful master  sixteen  years  and  also  represented 
his  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  for 
the  same  length  of  time.  At  one  time  he 
was  also  connected  with  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows.  His  political  support 
is  given  the  Democratic  party  and  as  a  pu1> 
lie-spirited  citizen  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
public  affairs,  but  has  never  cared  for  the 
honors  or  emoluments  of  office.  Pleasant 
antl  genial  ni  manner,  he  makes  friends 
wherever  he  goes  and  is  held  in  high  regard 
bv  all  mIk)  know  him. 


WILLIAM   H.   BECK. 

William  H.  Beck,  who  was  successfully 
engaged  in  the  photographic  and  insurance 
business  in  Morrisonville,  was  born  in  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  January  13,  1867,  and  was 
a  son  of  Frederick  and  Kate  Beck,  both  na- 
tives of  Germany.  In  the  family  were  only 
two  children  :  \\'illiam  Herbert  and  Chester 
Lee.     Our  subject  spent  the  first   fourteen 


years  of  his  life  in  his  native  city  and  then 
went  to  Harrison  county,  low'a,  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm  and  in  a  sawmill  together 
with  other  occupation  until  twenty-nine 
years  of  age.  He  then  took  up  photography 
and  soon  mastered  that  art. 

In  1889  Mr.  Beck  came  to  Morrisonville, 
his  capital  at  that  time  consisting  of  only 
three  dollars  and  a  half.  He  opened  a  photo- 
graph gallery  and  the  first  year  hardly  made 
enough  to  pay  his  board  but  he  continued  at 
the  business  and  at  length  success  crowned 
his  efforts.  He  became  the  owner  of  the 
building  in  wdiich  he  had  his  studio  and 
which  is  twenty-two  by  one  hundred  feet  in 
dimensions  and  two  stories  in  height,  his 
home  being  the  upper  story.  He  enjoyed  a 
liberal  share  of  the  public  patronage,  his  cus- 
tomers coming  from  fifteen  miles  in  every 
direction.  In  connection  with  his  photo- 
graphic work,  he  was  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business  and  represented  some  of  the 
best  companies  in  the  country,  including  the 
Home  Insurance  Company  of  New^  York; 
the  Phoenix,  of  Brooklyn :  the  Hartford,  of 
Hartford,  Connecticut ;  the  Springfield 
American  Central  Company  of  St.  Louis. 
He  did  the  leading  business  in  that  line  in 
Morrisonville.  He  was  a  wide-awake,  ener- 
getic business  man,  of  progressive  ideas  and 
thoroughly  reliable,  and  to  those  traits  of 
character  may  be  attributed  his  success.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  local  board  of  fire  in- 
surance and  was  treasurer  of  the  association. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Beck  belonged  to  the  Mod- 
ern ^Voodmen  of  America  and  religiously 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  he  served  as  class-leader 
and  special  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  all  church  work 
and  was  highly  honored  and  esteemed  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  died  on  the  22d  of 
December,  1903.   On  the  24th  of  November, 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


470 


1 89 1,  he  married  Miss  Georgie  Haines  and 
to  them  were  born  two  children :  Herbert 
W.  and  Chester. 


ANDREW   F.    HAMMER,    M.    D. 

In  a  profession  where  advancement  de- 
pends upon  individual  merit  and  skill  Dr. 
Hammer  has  won  a  very  enviable  position 
and  in  his  practice  shows  a  thorough  and 
comprehensive  understanding  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  medical  science  and  adaptability 
for  the  needs  of  suffering  humanity.  His 
work  has  received  the  endorsement  of  public 
opinion  and  he  is  therefore  accorded  a  lib- 
eral patronage. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Christian  coun- 
ty, his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city 
which  he  yet  makes  his  home,  his  natal  day 
l)eing  December  7,  1849.  ^^^  parents  were 
Addison  and  Rebecca  (Langley)  Hammer 
and  on  the  paternal  line  he  comes  of  German 
ancestry,  while  on  the  maternal  line  he  is 
of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The  great-grand- 
mother Langley  w^as  a  resident  of  North 
Carolina,  to  which  state  the  progenitors  of 
the  family  in  America  had  made  their  way 
when  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  from  western 
Scotland,  about  the  time  of  the  second  ex- 
odus of  the  Huguenots.  John  Hammer,  the 
great-grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  whence  he  removed  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  spent  his  active  life  as  a 
farmer.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  the 
Doctor  were  Frederick  and  Elizabeth 
(Webb)  Hammer.  The  grandfather  was 
born  in  Kentucky  in  1795  and  was  a  black- 
smith by  trade.  He  married  Miss  Webb, 
whose  people  were  of  English  lineage,  and 
removed  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky.  When 
their  son  Addison  W.  Hammer  was  seven 
years  of  age  the  grandparents  removed  to 
Sangamon  county  and  ten  years  later  they 


came  to  Prairieton  township.  Christian 
county,  where  Frederick  Hammer  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  land.  In  1852,  how- 
ever, he  sold  that  property  and  settled  upon 
a  farm  lying  in  both  May  and  Taylorville 
townships.  As  one  of  the  pioneer  agricul- 
turists of  the  county  he  aided  largely  in  re- 
claiming wnld  land  for  the  purposes  of  civ- 
ilization and  became  a  successful  farmer. 
He  was  once  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  but 
preferred  rather  to  discharge  his  public 
duties  as  a  private  citizen  than  as  an  official. 
In  early  life  his  political  support  was  given 
to  the  Whig  party  and  upon  its  dissolution 
he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican 
party.  His  death  occurred  in  the  year  1866, 
when  he  was  seventy-two  years  of  age,  and 
his  wife  pased  away  in  1870,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  They  reared  a  family  of 
ten  children,  namely :  William  L.,  who  died 
in  Decatur,  Illinois,  in  1903,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years;  Lucian  W.,  of  Nebraska; 
Addison  W.,  of  Taylorville;  John,  who  died 
in  1853,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years; 
Mary,  the  widow  of  A.  D.  Norcutt  and  a 
resident  of  Forest,  Illinois ;  Margaret,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  Silas  R., 
who  is  living  in  Marion  county,  Kansas; 
Seth  R.,  who  died  in  Salem,  Oregon,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  years;  Sanford  G.,  who  was 
killed  on  the  railroad  when  sixty-four  years 
of  age;  and  James  Alpheus,  who  died  in 
1855,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 

Addison  W.  Hammer,  the  Doctor's  father, 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  October  4,  182 1,  and 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  the 
fall  of  1827,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  Sangamon  county.  He  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  twenty-two  years 
of  age  and  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and 
trials  of  pioneer  life  and  assisted  in  the 
arduous  duties  of  developing  a  new  tract  of 
land.     He  had  but  limited  school  privileges, 


4^0 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


attending  for  only  a  few  weeks  during  the 
winter  seasons.  \\'hen  twenty-two  years  of 
age  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  and 
followed  that  pursuit  for  a  year.  He  then 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  the  di- 
rection of  his  father  and  for  four  years  con- 
ducted a  shop  of  his  own  in  Taylorville.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Tay- 
lorville township  and  turned  his  attention  to 
farming,  paying  two  and  a  half  dollars  per 
acre  for  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  and  five  dol- 
lars per  acre  for  the  remainder.  Mr.  Ham- 
mer then  conducted  his  farm  until  1866. 
when  he  sold  that  property  and  bought  the 
home  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
retaining  possession  thereof  until  1873.  "^v^i^ii 
he  again  sold  and  removed  tO'  Kansas,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  hardware  business. 
Later  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Berry,  Sanga- 
mon county,  Illinois,  and  there  filled  the  po- 
sition of  postmaster  under  the  Harrison  ad- 
ministration for  four  years.  Later  return- 
ing to  Taylorville,  he  has  since  resided  in 
this  city. 

In  the  year  1848  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Rebecca  Adeline  Langley,  a 
daughter  of  Josiah  and  Jane  (Randolph) 
Lanw-lev.  Mrs.  Hammer  died  October  22, 
1865,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years.  By 
her  marriage  she  had  become  the  mother  of 
eight  children,  and  the  following  are  now 
living:  Andrew  T . ;  Margaret  I.,  the  wife 
of  I.  B.  Jordon  of  Logan  county,  Illinois ; 
Laura  Isabella,  the  wife  of  T.  H.  Johnson, 
of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan;  Lura,  the  wife 
of  J.  S.  Neal,  of  Edinburg,  Illinois ;  and 
Hugh  L.,  who  is  a  merchant  of  Clarksdale. 
Those  who  have  passed  away  are  John,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  ten  years;  Jerry,  at  the 
age  of  two  years;  and  one  that  died  in  in- 
fancy. In  the  year  1852  Mr.  Hammer  was 
made  a  Mason  in  ]\Tound  Lodge,  No.  122, 


A.  F.  &  A.  M..  and  he  also  belongs  to  Tay- 
lorville Chapter,  Xo.  102,  R.  A.  M.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Repuljlican,  having  supported  the 
party  since  its  organization.  His  first  presi- 
dential vote  was  cast  in  1844  and  in  i860 
he  supported  Lincoln  and  has  since  been  an 
advocate  of  tiie  principles  of  the  organiza- 
tion, but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public 
ofiice. 

Dr.  Hammer,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
completing  a  high  school  course  and  then 
determining  to  devote  his  attention  to  the 
practice  of  medicine  he  began  reading  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Crouse,  of  Oswego. 
Kansas,  who  directed  his  reading  from  1873 
until  1876.  In  the  meantime  he  taught 
school.  He  had  followed  that  profession 
in  1 87 1 -2  and  in  1873  he  engaged  in  pros- 
pecting for  lead  and  silver  in  Arkansas.  He 
was  dependent  upon  his  own  labors  for  the 
money  necessary  to  meet  t-he  expenses  of  his 
professional  education  and  when  he  had  ac- 
(juired  capital  sufficient  to  permit  a  college 
course  he  entered  the  Hahnemann  Aledical 
College  of  Chicago,  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1878.  He  then  began 
practice  in  Berry,  Sangamon  county,  where 
he  remained  for  fifteen  years,  engaging  in 
general  practice.  Removing  to  Taylorville 
he  has  since  remained  in  this  city  and  has 
become  a  successful  member  of  the  medical 
fraternity.  With  a  nature  that  could  never 
content  itself  with  mediocrity  he  has  ad- 
Aanced  to  a  foremost  position  in  the  ranks  of 
the  profession,  having  the  confidence  and  ad- 
miration of  all  for  what  he  has  accom- 
plished. 

In  1878  occurred  the  marriage  of  the 
Doctor  and  Miss  Alice  A.  Dickerson,  a 
daughter  of  John  S.  and  Mary  J.  Dickerson. 
of  Sangamon  county,  Illinois.  They  now 
have    two    interesting    daughters :     Estella 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


481 


Pearl  and  Lena  J.  Both  the  Doctor  and  his 
wife  are  well  and  favorably  known  in  Tay- 
lorville.  They  hold  membership  in  the 
Christian  church  and  he  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  having  firm 
faith  in  its  principles.  He  is  likewise  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Fraternal  Army, 
the  Loyal  Army  and  is  medical  examiner  for 
the  last  three.  He  is  also  a  health  officer 
and  served  in  1903  as  the  vice  president  of 
the  Christian  County  Medical  Society.  He 
ranks  high  with  the  profession  as  well  as 
with  the  general  public  and  his  life  record 
shows  the  force  of  his  character  and  the 
strength  of  a  laudable  ambition. 


L.    T.    MORGAN. 

L.  T.  Morgan,  now  proprietor  of  a  livery 
stable  in  Pana  and  at  one  time  actively  con- 
nected with  agricultural  pursuits  in  Chris- 
tian county,  was  torn  in  Polk  county,  Geor- 
gia, in  the  year  1858,  his  parents  being  B.  F. 
and  Sarah  Morgan.  The  father  was  born  in 
Georgia  and  from  that  state  remo\'ed  to  Ten- 
nessee. For  a  time  he  engaged  in  practice 
of  medicine,  being  a  physician  and  surgeon, 
and  during  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  he 
devoted  his  energies  to  preaching  as  a  min- 
ister of  the  Baptist  church.  His  career  was, 
therefore,  given  to  callings  which  are  of 
marked  benefit  in  the  world  and  his  life  was 
one  of  great  usefulness.  He  died  in  the  year 
1887  and  his  memory  is  yet  revered  and 
cherished  l>y  many  who  knev.'  him. 

L.  T.  Morgan  spent  the  first  nine  years 
of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  McMinn  county,  Tennessee,  where 
his  youth  was  passed.  He  there  began  his 
business  career  as  a  farmer  and  followed 
that  occupation  continuously  until  about  ten 


years  ago,  when  he  came  to  Pana,  Illinois. 
He  first  rented  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  near  the  town,  the  property  of 
Mr.  Cox,  and  lived  upon  this  for  four  years, 
after  which  he  rented  three  hundred  and  ten 
acres  from  Mr.  Buell.  He  raised  both  grain 
and  stock  and  made  a  success  of  farming,  so 
conducting  his  efforts  that  his  labors  were 
attended  with  a  high  degree  of  success.  On 
the  2d  of  February,  1903,  Mr.  Morgan  took 
up  his  abode  in  Pana  and  purchased  the  liv- 
ery barn  which  he  is  now  conducting.  He 
has  the  best  equipped  livery  stable  in  central 
Illinois,  having  on  hand  a  fine  lot  of  car- 
riages and  a  number  of  good  horses.  When 
he  removed  to  Pana,  however,  ten  years  ago.. 
his  cash  capital  consisted  of  but  thirty-seven 
dollars.  In  this  decade  he  has  been  very 
successful  and  is  now  one  of  the  influential 
residents  of  the  city. 

In  1878  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Morgan  and  Miss  Sallie  Wilson,  who  Avas 
born  in  Tennessee  near  Kingston.  Seven 
children  graced  this  marriage :  Frank,  who 
is  married  and  resides  in  Chicago ;  Gertrude, 
deceased ;  May ;  Annie,  who  married  W.  T. 
Lester  and  resides  in  Pana ;  Belle ;  Cleve- 
land ;  and  Pearl.  Mrs.  Morgan  belongs  to 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  is 
a  most  estimable  lady,  carefully  managing 
her  household  affairs  and  thus  pr()\-ing  a 
great  assistance  to  her  husband.  Mr.  Mor- 
gan belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp, 
to  the  Fraternal  Army  and  to  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  and  in  his  political  affiliations  is  a 
Democrat.  He  owed  his  success  entirely  to 
his  enterprise  and  industry  and  these  (juali- 
ties  are  salient  features  in  his  business  career. 


JOSIAH   P.    HODGE. 

Josiah  P.  Hodge  was  born  on  the  23d  of 
November,  1853,  in  Pope  county,  Illinois, 
his   parents  being  Dr.   John   P.    and   Mary 


482 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


(  I  lillcnnan  )  llodt^c.  'I'lic  fatlicr  was  for 
many  }ears  a  ])r(miinciU  and  successful 
physician  of  Pope  county.  Illinnis.  Our  sub- 
ject's elementary  education  was  ac(|uired  in 
the  j)ul)lic  schools  of  this  state  and  he  later 
entered  the  Illinois  State  Normal  school. 
where  he  completed  the  course  and  was  grad- 
uated in  1S75.  h^)r  two  years  he  taught 
school  and  then  too1<  uj)  the  study  o\  law. 
heing  admitted  to  the  har  in  1X80.  J'V>r  a 
ninnher  of  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  iiis  chosen  profession  hut  his  life  has 
mostly  l)een  de\'ote(l  to  journalism  He  has 
edited  hoth  dail\-  and  weekly  papers  <^f 
prominence,  including  the  Daily  Sun,  of 
I"'a(lucah.  Kentucky,  and  the  Daily  Commer- 
cial of  \'incennes.  Indiana.  On  the  12th  of 
August.  1875.  ]\lr.  Hodge  was  married  in 
(lolconda.  Illinois,  to  Miss  May  Clanahan. 


CARLETON  FENIMORE  HODGE. 

C.'U'leton  h^nimore  Hodge,  the  well 
known  editor  of  the  Prairie  State  Tribune , 
publislied  at  Assumption,  was  liorn  in  Pope 
county,  Illinois.  July  2"/,  1876,  and  is  a  son 
of  josiah  P.  and  May  (Clanahan)  Hodge. 
The  father  was  graduated  at  the  Illinois 
State  Normal  Uniyersity  in  the  class  of  1875 
and  has  deyoted  his  life  to  journalism  and 
tile  legal  profession.  Our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather.  Dr.  John  P.  Hodge,  was  for 
many  years  ])rior  to  his  death  a  prominent 
physician. 

During  his  boyhood  C.  V.  Hodge  attended 
the  common  schools  but  is  largely  self-edu- 
cated, his  instruction  being  under  the  guid- 
ance of  his  father,  who  is  a  man  of  .scholarly 
attainments.  Of  studious  habits  and  literary 
turn  of  mind,  our  subject  naturally  became 
interested  in  journalistic  work  at  an  early 
age  and  entered  a  printing  office,  \vhere  he 
worked  at  the  case  for  a  number  of  years. 


h'or  some  time  he  was  a  compositor  on  the 
Pailx  Telegraph  and  later  on  the  Daily  Sun, 
of  I'aducah,  Kentucky,  of  which  his  father 
was  editor,  and  after  his  return  from  the 
Spanish-American  \yar  ^yas  engaged  for  a 
considerable  time  as  reporter  on  the  Daily 
Commercial,  of  Vincennes,  Indiana.  Later 
he  was  connected  with  the  ad\-crtising  de- 
partment of  the  Indianapolis  Sun.  A\'ith  his 
y(nniger  brother,  J.  Sim  Hodge,  he  subse- 
quently became  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
.\ssumption  Independent,  now  the  Prairie 
State  Tribune,  on  the  ist  of  January,  1901, 
and  has  since  had  charge  of  that  paper.  In 
the  conduct  of  this  journal  he  iias  shown 
marked  ability  and  has  succeeded  in  making- 
it  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential 
local  papers  in  central  Illinois.  By  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Bible  as  a  serial  the  Inde- 
pen\dent  became  ,the  subject  of  comment  in 
prominent  journals  throughout  Christen- 
dom and  thousands  of  letters  were  receiyed 
and  many  subscriptions  from  prominent 
church  men  and  others  interested  in  the  new 
departure  in  journalism. 

On  the  declaration  of  war  against  Spain, 
]\Ir.  Hodge  hastened  from  Tennessee,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  ne^yspaper  work,  to 
Alton,  Illinois,  to  rejoin  the  Alton  Battalion 
of  the  Naval  Reserves,  of  which  he  had  pre- 
\iously  been  a  member  for  seweral  years. 
.\fter  waiting  for  several  weeks  in  hotirl}" 
expectation  of  being  called  out,  he  grew  im- 
])atient  and  in  compan\-  with  three  friends, 
one  of  w"h(Mn  was  Dr.  Harry  Lemen.  who 
l)ecanie  regimental  surgeon  and  in  that  ca- 
])acit}-  subsequently  s])ent  several  years  in 
the  Philippines,  joined  the  regular  army  at 
St.  Louis  and  was  assigned  to  the  Sixteenth 
Infantry.  With  his  command  he  went 
through  the  Santiago  campaign,  his  regi- 
ment leading  the  famous  charge  up  San  Juan 
Ilill.  his  company — F — occupying  the  cen- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


483 


ler  of  the  line  and  reaching"  the  top  imme- 
diate]}' in  front  of  the  l)lockhouse.  Mr. 
Hodge  was  one  of  the  guard  detailed  in 
charge  of  prisoners  captured.  After  the  bat- 
tle he  was  on  hospital  duty  and  nursed  a 
numl)er  of  yellow  fever  patients,  escaping 
that  disease  to  suffer  an  attack  of  typhoid 
after  reaching  Alontauk  Point.  Here  he  ap- 
plied for  his  discharge,  ^^■hich  was  granted 
a  few  weeks  later. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Hodge  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees.  He  formerly  held  the  posi- 
tion of  aide  on  the  staff  of  Department  Com- 
mander English,  of  the  Indiana  Department 
of  the  Spanish-American  War  Veterans. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  exceptional  ability 
and  is  quite  popular  in  business  and  social 
circles. 


MRS.   ISABELL  BERRY. 

There  is  probably  no  resident  of  Johnson 
township  who  is  held  in  higher  esteem  than 
Mrs.  Isabell  Berry,  whose  home  is  on  sec- 
tion II.  She  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  I4di  of  November, 
1830,  and  was  a  young  lady  on  coming  to 
Christian  county,  Illinois,  with  her  parents, 
Henry  and  Mary  (Klinefelter)  Baker.  They 
were  also  natives  of  York  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  former  born  in  1802,  the  latter  in 
1804,  and  there  they  continued  to  make  their 
home  for  many  years.  Throughout  life  the 
father  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
After  a  useful  and  well  s]jent  life  he  died  in 
1880  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Clark  ceme- 
tery of  Johnson  township.  His  wife  had 
died  in  1849  ^^•hen  in  the  prime  of  life. 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Berry  is  the  second 
in  order  of  birth,  the  others  b^ing  as  fol- 
lows :  Alexander,  now  deceased ;  Matilda, 
the  widow  of  Richard  Johnson  and  a  resi- 


dent of  Johnson  township ;  Savilla,  Jacob, 
William,  Hester  Ann  and  Samuel,  all  now 
deceased;  Eliza,  the  deceased  w^fe  of  Henr}^ 
Ebert,  who  is  a  resident  of  California ;  and 
Mary,  who  was  the  wife  of  Matthew  Stone 
and  both  are  now  deceased,  their  remains 
being  interred  in  Oak  Hill  cemetery. 

In  1850  Miss  Isabell  Baker  gave  her  hand 
in  marriage  to  Thomas  H.  Berry,  who  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  in 
1828,  and  to  them  were  born  three  children: 
Henry  H.,  now  a  carpenter  and  builder  liv- 
ing in  Oklahoma;  John  T.,  a  well-to-do 
agriculturist  of  Johnson  township,  this  coun- 
ty ;  and  Mary  Jane,  who  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  with  her  mother. 

Mr.  Berry  made  farming  his  life  occupa- 
tion and  he  was  called  upon  to  fill  various 
local  positions  of  responsibility  and  honor, 
the  duties  of  which  he  most  capably  and  sat- 
isfactorily discharged.  Among  other  of^ces 
he  served  as  highway  commissioner  and 
school  director.  His  influence  and  ballot 
were  used  in  support  oi  the  Democratic 
party.  For  a  period  of  over  twenty  years  he 
w^as  a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  died  in  that 
faith  in  1873,  being  laid  to  rest  in  the  United 
Brethren  cemetery.  An  honorable  and  up- 
right man,  he  gained  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  all  with  whom  he  was  lirought  in 
contact  and  in  his  death  the  community  real- 
ized that  it  had  lost  a  valued  citizen.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  i)rominent  and  highly 
respected  men  of  Johnson  townshi]). 

The  home  farm  belonging  to  Mrs.  Berry 
is  one  of  the  l)est  in  the  townshi]).  It  con- 
sists of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
prairie  land  and  forty  acres  of  timber  and 
in  its  management  she  has  displayed  excel- 
lent business  ability  and  sound  judgment. 
In  1892  she  bought  a  lot  and  a  half  in  Tay- 
lorville  and  Qrectecl  thereon  a  nice  residence, 


•I  S4 


I 'AST  .WD   I'kl'.SKN'r 


wlicrc  sIio  li\c(l  until  |,iini;u"\.  i<i't_^.  wlu'ii 
she  rotnnu'd  tn  tlu'  l";inn.  tliiiii!;li  she  still 
dwns  Ikt  propiTlx  m  lax  K  )r\  ilk'.  Slu'  is 
witli'K  anil  l'a\tnal)l\  known  thrnui^hout  tlu- 
i-(unit\  w  hcri.'  sIk'  has  so  li>n^'  made  her 
home. 


W  ll.l   1  \.\l    K.   .\K()|)|':.\ll'S. 

W  ilham  K.  .Xieodcmns.  who  i;  tai^a^ed 
in  the  tran^t'er  hu>incss  in  Taylorxilk'  and 
who  IS  the  h(  im  H'ed  ma\or  ol  the  eil\,  was 
horn  in  Knox  eount\,  lennessee,  on  the  _'()th 
ol"  April.  iSjS.  his  parents  heim;'  John  W  . 
and  .\lar\  k.  (  .\nlt  )  Xiooik-mns.  khe 
lather  ol  onr  suhjec!  eame  to  Illinois  in  the 
fall  {li  iS()0  and  with  his  lann'\-  loeated 
in  r.a\lor\  ille  township,  Christian  eonntw 
upon  a  farm,  to  the  dexelopment  and  eultiva- 
lion  iA  whieh  he  earnesth  de\oted  his  el- 
forts.  In  earl\  lile  he  heeame  a  '.nemher  ol 
the  soulhe''!!  Illinois  Methoviisl  k'pisoopal 
eonferenee,  and  I  lom  that  time  until  iS()S 
was  eiii^as^ed  in  ministerial  work.  k.\en  in 
his  later  xears  his  deep  interest  in  the  i'hm"eli 
ne\  er  faltered,  althouL;h  in  more  aik.aiieed 
lile  he  was  uiiahle  to  take  so  ])romment  a 
part  therein.  A  sineere  earnest  Christian 
"gentleman,  his  lalnirs  were  el"leeti\i'  and  help- 
ful in  ])romotini;-  the  cause  o\  (.  hristianilv 
and  his  intlnenee  was  w  idel\  fell  for  i^ootl  in 
the  eommunities  in  w  hieh  he  li\  ed.  I  le  w  as 
twiee  married,  first  wetkhn^  .Miss  .Mar\-  1^. 
.\ult,  who  died  when  her  son  William  1\. 
was  hut  six  years  ni  ai^e.  Out  k\  the  six 
chilth'en  li(~>i"u  of  this  uniou  oni\  twn  are  now 
living-,  the  l)rother  of  cnir  subject  heius;"  Wes- 
ley B..  of  Taykirviiie.  The  other  four  died 
in  infancy.  For  his  second  wife  the  father 
chose  Mary  A.  k^ilkuer,  of  Knox  count \-. 
'kennessee.  who  dictl  in  i()oo  at  the  aj;-e  (^i 
so\cnty-tW(^  years.  John  \\  .  Xic^Hlemus 
]Kissed  awa>-  on  the  joth  of  Ati.Li'ust,  tqoj,  at 


the  ad\ance(l  ai^e  of  se\-ent\-  ei.nht  years, 
Iea\  ini;'  hi'hind  him  tlu'  ret'ord  of  ;ni  honor- 
ahk'.  n))riL;ht  lik'. 

In  the  suhscription  schools  of  his  nati\'e 
(•ount\  William  K.  .Xicodemns  he.i;an  his  ed- 
ucation and  later  continued  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools  ol  Christian  coiintw  Illinois. 
|)ni"in^-  his  earlier  years  he  remained  upon 
the  home  larm  and  assisted  in  the  work  of 
plowinj^-.  plantiniL;  and  InrxestiniL;'.  Hn  start- 
ing' out  upon  his  business  caix'cr  he  followed 
the  pursuit  to  which  he  had  been  reared  and 
in  iS()S  he  remo\ed  to  'ka\  lor\ille.  Mere 
he  was  ein]»lo\ed  in  the  Inmbt'r  \ard  for  a 
time,  but  alterward  resumed  a^ricnltin-al 
pursuits,  makini;'  his  home  upon  a  tract  of 
land  situated  in  b'huson  and  'ra\lor\ilIe 
townships.  In  iSS_:>  he  located  ])erinaneutly 
in  the  cit\  of  'ka\  lor\  ille.  altbouL^h  he  still 
en^at^ed  m  farmini;'  for  a  time.  In  i  SSS  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  drayini;  business 
in  which  he  still  continues  and  has  a  .i;'()0(l 
patronaj.;e,  beiiii;"  coiistantl}'  employed  in  that 
line. 

On  the  i()tli  of  March,  1S73.  Mr.  Nico- 
deiuus  was  united  in  ma.rria.Lje  to  Miss  Cath- 
erine k.  kasnacht,  a  daui^hter  of  kjlward 
h'asnacht,  who  w  as  ori^"inally  from  rennsyl- 
\ania  and  who.  enteriui^'  the  I'nioii  arm\'  in 
the  C"i\il  war.  laid  down  his  life  upon  the 
altar  of  his  countr\ .  Mrs.  Xicodemus  learned 
the  milliner\-  business  when  a  .s^irl.  and  has 
f.  illowed  the  trade  more  or  less  since  taking 
it  up.  In  iS()7  she  opened  a  millinery  store 
in  TaxloiA  ille.  which  she  still  conducts.  I^he 
started  the  business  with  onl\-  se\euty-ii\e 
dollars,  but  has  been  xery  successful  in  build- 
ing up  a  large  trade.  The  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Xiciulemn^  was  blessed  with  seven 
children,  of  whom  li\e  are  yet  li\ing:  Dora, 
the  wife  of  Charles  .\.  Rhodes  o\  Taylor- 
\ille:  WeslcN  k.,  of  kMw  ards\  ille,  Illinois; 
William    W.,   a   resident   of  St.    Louis;  and 


W.    K.    NICODEMUS 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


4-S' 


Daisy  and  Bertha,  who  are  at  home.     W^alter 
E.  and  I'earl  Ijoth  died  in  infancy 

In  his  pohtical  allegiance  Mr.  Nicodemus 
is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  honored  with  a 
nnmber  of  local  offices.  He  served  as  town- 
ship collector  for  one  year  and  for  fonr  years 
\\as  alderman  of  the  second  ward.  In  the 
spring-  of  1903  he  was  elected  mayor  of 
Taylorville,  sncceeding  Frank  A.  Zimmer- 
man, so  that  he  is  now  the  incumbent  in  the 
office.  His  administration  is  bnsiness-like, 
])ractical  and  progressive,  and  while  he  fa- 
^■ors  all  advanced  methods  for  the  benefit  of 
the  city  he  never  encourages  the  needless  ex- 
penditure of  money,  but  manages  the  city  af- 
fairs as  he  does  his  pri\'ate  business  inter- 
ests, with  great  precision  and  fidelity.  Pav- 
ing the  city  streets  is  an  improvement  start- 
ed under  his  administration,  and  forty-nine 
blocks  were  put  in  during  his  term  of  office. 
He  is  a  man  of  good  judgment,  strong  in  his 
individuality  and  sterling  worth  and  well 
may  he  be  numbered  among  the  representa- 
ti\e  citizens  of  Tavlorville. 


LEVI   ALDRICH. 


Levi  Aldrich,  a  highly  respected  citizen 
and  representative  farmer  of  Rosamond 
township,  residing  on  section  26,  is  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  Franconia, 
Grafton  county.  May  30,  1837.  Tradition 
has  it  that  three  of  the  name  of  Aldrich  came 
to  this  country  from  Wales  in  colonial  days, 
one  settling  in  Mendon,  Massachusetts,  an- 
other in  Maine  and  the  third  in  Virginia. 
The  first  mentioned  had  seven  sons,  one  of 
whom  was  the  great-great-grandfather  of 
our  subject.  The  great-grandfather,  Ed- 
ward Aldrich,  was  a  prominent  man  in  his 
day  and  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in 
colonial  times.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary 


war  remoNcd  to  (Irafton  Cdunt)',  New 
Hampshire,  where  in  the  midst  of  the  \\il- 
derness  he  developed  a  farm.  It  was  there 
that  our  subject  first  saw  the  light  of  day. 
His  grandfather,  John  Aldrich.  married 
Sarah  Kaylor  and  spent  his  life  on  the  old 
homestead  at  Franconia.  In  his  family  were 
six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  reached  maturity. 

Edward  Aldrich,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  youngest  of  this  family.  He 
was  l)orn  on  the  old  homestead  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  first  school  established  in  Fran- 
C(jnia  townshi]),  it  being  near  his  boyhood 
home.  He  was  married  in  Franconia,  New 
Hampshire,  to  Laura  Parker,  also  a  native 
of  that  state,  and  after  living  on  the  old 
homestead  for  about  six  years  removed  to 
Caledonia  countv,  Vermont,  where  he  con- 
tinned  to  engage  in  farming  throughout  life. 
He  died  there  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years, 
and  his  wife,  who  long  survived  him,  passed 
away  in  Lakeport,  New  Hampshire,  wdien 
in  her  ninety-first  year.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  three  children,  namely  :  Caleb,  who 
is  unmarried  and  still  resides  in  the  Green 
Mountain  state;  Levi,  our  subject;  and 
Laura  A.,  wife  of  J.  M.  Drake,  of  Lakeport. 
New  Hampshire.  Ijy  whom  she  has  three 
children.  One  of  these  is  married  and  lives 
in  NewHampshire,  another  is  married  and 
resides  in  Ne\\-  Jersey,  and  the  other  is  still 
at  home. 

Reared  in  much  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  boys  in  his  localit)',  Levi  Aldrich  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  in  t!ie  pub- 
lic schools  of  Vermont,  sup])lemente(l  by  a 
few  terms  at  an  academy.  He  is  to-da}'  a 
A\e11-read  man  and  possesses  a  wonder lul 
memory,  haAing  been  alile  to  gi\e  the  fore- 
going ancestral  history  without  any  refer- 
ence whatsoever.  After  leaving  school  he 
came  west  to  Illinois  at  about  the  age  of 


25 


488 


TAS'r  AND  PRESENT 


l\\i'til\  \c;irs,  liis  (.►bjccl  hcinq"  to  Uiok"  n|)  :i 
liK'alidii,  and  lie  was  wt'll  salislicd  willi  lliis 
state,  altli(iu.i;lt  lie  did  imt  locale  peniiaiieiitly 
here  until  ](S()4,  when  he  look  um  his  resi- 
dence (111  section  _'(».  Udsaiiinnd  tdwiishi]), 
Christian  ci^unty.  At  that  time  tlu-  farm 
was  DiiK'  partialK'  under  euhi\ati(Mi  and 
jirairie  chiek'eiis  and  ether  small  i^ame  were 
plentiful.  lie  h.-.s  made  farniini"'  his  life 
work  and  has  met  with  success  in  his  chosen 
occupation.  He  jjlauted  the  trees  and  made 
all  of  the  other  improvements  u])ou  his  place. 

At  Sutton.  Vermont.  October  16,  t86o, 
Mr.  Aldrich  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Bean,  wdio  was  horn  ;it  that  j)lace 
December  11,  1838.  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  E.  and  Emily  (Willard)  Bean,  l)oth 
natives  of  New  Hampshire.  She  is  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  six  children.  ;dl  of 
whom  reached  m.an  and  womanhood.  I'lito 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Mdrich  were  born  three  sons, 
as  follows:  Edward,  liorii  in  Sutton  town- 
ship, Caledonia  county,  Vermont,  now  con- 
ducts the  home  farm  and  is  a  breeder  of 
fancy  stock,  making  ;i  specialt\-  of  Duroc 
Jersey  hogs,  which  he  ships  to  Kentucky  and 
other  states.  He  was  married  June  i,  t8()(). 
to  Anna  Hersman,  of  Brown  county.  Illi- 
nois, and  they  ha\e  one  son,  Willard  C, 
born  August  ii.  kjoj.  W'ilh.am,  also  born 
in  Sutton,  X'crniout,  was  niarried  July  14. 
1891,  to  Margaret  Hare,  of  Sangamon 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  now  iJrincijxd  of  a 
grammar  school  in  Keokuk,  Iowa.  George 
E..  born  on  the  home  farm  in  this  couiitv,  is 
now  Hving  in  Crosby,  Texas.  1  le  was  mar- 
ried September  7,  1898.  to  ^Tinnie  F.  Carper 
and  has  two  children,  Justin  and  Olin. 

Tn  national  politics  Mr.  Aldricli's  views 
coincide  with  those  held  1w  President  Lin- 
coln but  at  local  elections  he  generally  su])- 
ports  the  Democratic  pnrtv  and  on  that 
ticket  was  elected  su])er\isor  of  his  township 


in  |8(;(S.  lie  also  hlled  the  office  n\  school 
irnslee  for  a  number  of  \-ears  and  has  done 
ah  in  his  power  to  ])romote  the  moral,  edu- 
(•ational  and  material  w  el  tare  o|  the  com- 
munity in  w  liich  lu-  li\  es.  1  le  is  a  deacon 
in  tile  C 'oiigregatioual  ch.urch  of  Kosemond, 
to  which  his  famiU'  also  belong,  and  they 
are  among  the  most  highly  esteemed  people 
of  the  township.  Their  home  is  noted  for 
its  hospitality  and  good  cheer. 


JUDGE   VINCENT   E.    FOY. 

Among  the  pruminent  and  hoiKtred  resi- 
dents of  Taylorvillc  was  numbered  Judge 
N'incent  E.  boy,  now  deceased.  His  life  was 
devoted  to  labors  wdierein  wealtf.  or  inllu- 
ence  availeth  little,  the  measure  of  success 
depending  u[)on  mentality.  al)ility — both  nat- 
ural and  acc|uired — and  the  broad  culture  of 
the  individual.  Possessing  all  the  requisite 
(|ualities  of  the  able  lawyer,  Judge  Foy  ad- 
vanced to  a  prominent  position  at  the  Chris- 
tian county  bar  and  his  reputation  was  not 
limited  by  the  confines  of  this  locality,  as  he 
ranked  as  the  peer  of  the  ablest  lawyers  and 
jurists  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

He  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  comity,  Ohio, 
on  the  31st  of  October,  1845.  ^lis  father. 
Archibald  Greenleaf  Foy,  was  a  native  of 
lieluiont  county,  Ohio,  and  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  He  became  a  farmer  and 
throughout  his  entire  life  followed  that  oc- 
cupation in  order  to  ])r()\ide  for  his  family, 
lie  wedded  bjneline  IhMsben,  who  was  also 
born  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  and  was  of 
.Scotch-Irish  lineage,  her  parents,  however, 
being  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Unto  Mr. 
rmd  Mrs.  Foy  were  Iwrn  ten  children,  seven 
of  whom  are  now  living.  In  1865  the  fam- 
ily remo\ed  to  Christian  county  and  sixteen 
vears  later  took  up  their  abode  in  Sumner 
countv.  Kansas,  where  the  mother  and  one 
of  the  dau,ghters  died  in  the  year  1891. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILIJNOIS. 


4h'.i 


In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lafJs,  Judj^e 
l''oy  spent  his  1x>yhfXKl  days,  assisting  in  the 
work  of  the  fieUls  through  the  summer 
months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  at- 
tenrled  the  district  scIkxjIs,  in  which  he  ac- 
f|uirefl  his  education,  save  that  he  s]>ent  one 
term  in  the  graded  schools  of  Uhlrichsville, 
Ohio.  Jle  left  the  home  farm  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  in  onler  i()  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world,  and  in  1864  he  put  aside 
all  business  anrl  pers^^nal  considerations  that 
he  might  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the 
Union,  enlisting  in  Company  K,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-first  Ohio  Infantry.  He  was 
mustered  in  on  the  2d  rlay  of  May,  1864, 
at  Camp  Chase  and  after  serving  at  rliffenmt 
jx^ints  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Camp  Chase,  Sq/tem?>er  2, 
1864. 

It  was  in  March  (j\  the  following  yejir 
that  Judge  Foy  arrived  in  Christian  county, 
where  he  was  variously  employed  as  a  farm 
laborer,  stage  driver  and  school  teacher 
until  he  enterefl  upon  the  study  of  law,  in 
which  he  was  destined  to  win  prominence, 
fiorrowing  some  law  Ixxjks  of  J.  B.  Jones, 
an  attorney  of  Taylorville,  he  Ixrgan  read- 
ing in  1868,  and  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to 
the  mastery  of  the  principles  of  jurispru- 
dence until  187 1,  when  he  regularly  became 
a  student  in  Mr.  Jones'  law  office,  there  con- 
tinuing his  reading  until  r874.  when  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  i-'or  a  year  thereafter 
he  engaged  in  practice  with  his  precejjtor 
and  was  then  alone  until  189;,  when  the 
firm  of  Foy  ik  Crafton  was  formed.  At  the 
bar  he  displayed  the  elements  of  the  strong 
lawyer,  careful  jjreparation  of  cases,  strength 
in  argument  and  logical  reasoning,  and  he 
sfxjn  gained  the  favorable  regard  of  the  pub- 
lic and  therefore  won  a  good  clientage. 

The  fitness  oi  Judge  Foy  for  ofifice  led  to 
his  selection  for  official  fx^sition  even  in  the 


early  day.s  of  liis  resiflencr  in  ("hristian 
county.  I'V^r  more  than  eleven  years  he  was 
treasurer  of  Taylorville  township  aiid  for 
one  year  was  city  attorney.  In  1876  he  was 
ele<:ted  states  attorney  and  in  1882  was 
chosen  by  popular  suffrag(;  to  the  Ix'nch  of 
the  county  court  and  by  re-election  filled 
that  office  contintious'ly  until  1894.  fie 
ranked  among  the  best  county  judges  in  the 
state,  his  r>|)inions  being  so  fair  and  impar- 
tial and  so  in  harmony  with  legal  principles 
that  he  won  the  commendation  of  the  bar 
and  of  the  general  ]jublic.  His  decisions  ^ 
wt:rc  never  reversed  in  a  higher  court,  which 
fact  stands  in  uncontrovertible  evidence  of 
his  broad  knowledge  of  the  law  and  his  im- 
]>artiah'ty  in  his  decisions. 

h'or  four  years  Judge  Foy  was  the  editor 
anrl  proprietor  of  the  Taylorville  Democrat, 
which  under  his  guidance  became  one  of  the 
leading  papers  of  thi.^  part  of  the  state,  with 
a  largely  increased  circulation.  In  citizen- 
ship he  was  public-spirited  anrl  progressive, 
co-operating  in  many  movements  for  the 
public  good,  and  his  influence  was  a  j/ublic 
factor  in  enhancing  the  general  welfare.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Taylorville  Coal  Com- 
pany from  its  organization  until  1891  and 
was  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  com- 
pany which  fiuilt  the  Antlers  Hotel. 

Judge  Foy  was  married  on  the  29th  of 
November,  1877,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Crafton,  a 
native  of  Macon  county,  Illinois,  and  of  Ger- 
man descent.  With  her  parents  she  came  to 
Christian  county  in  her  early  girlhood.  To 
her  husband  she  wa«?  a  most  able  assistant 
and  congenial  companion  and  he  attributed 
much  of  his  success  in  lousiness  life  to  her 
wise  and  helpful  counsel,  her  ready  sym- 
pathy and  intellectual  insight  into  afifairs. 
Since  her  husband's  death  she  has  Ijecome 
identified  with  business  interests  in  Taylor- 
ville, becoming  a  representative  of  ten  insur- 


490 


PAST  AND   I'RF.SKNT 


ancc  coiiipiuiit's  in  iScjS.  Two  Ncars  later 
she  sold  Ik'V  insurance  Imsiness  and  is  nnw 
eni;aL,a'd  in  tlie  reallx   and  loan  business. 

1die  Indite  beloni^ed  to  no  secret  or  Ira- 
terurd  or_^ani/ations  sa\e  the  (irand  Army 
of  the  Kepuhlic.  lie  was,  lio\ve\er.  a  man 
of  hroail  huniruiitarian  principles  and  his  in- 
terest in  his  fellow-uien  was  deep  and  sin- 
cere. This  caused  him  to  put  forth  earnest 
effort  to  advance  the  jjublic  \velfare  and 
Tavlor\ille  henelUed  hy  his  laiiors  aloni;- 
many  lines.  W  hile  in  the  courtroom  he  fully 
sustained  the  (li,^-nity  and  majesty  of  the 
law.  in  his  lumie  and  anions;-  his  friends  he 
was  a  most  social,  o^enial  o-entleman,  of  cor- 
dial manner  and  where\er  he  wen.t  he  won 
friends.  He  inscribed  his  name  deeply  on 
the  roll  of  honored  and  \alued  citizens  of 
Christian  county  and  althoui^h  he  has  now- 
passed  awav  his  memory  is  revered  by  man\- 
who  knew  Inm. 


RICHARD   JOHNSON. 
Richard  Johnson,  now  deceased,  was  for 
man\'  years  an  honored  and  hi_^hl\'  esteemed 
citizen  of  Christian  countw     He  was  born 
in  Cadiz.  Ohio.  ]vlay  14.  1831.  a  son  of  Will- 
iam   and    Elizabeth     ( ( )rr )     John.son,    both 
natives   of    Pennsylvania.       In    their    family 
were  six  children,  of  whom  Richard  was  the 
fifth  in  order  of  birth.     The  others  were  as 
follows:     James    died    and    was    buried    at 
Louisville.  Kentucky;  ^largaret  is  also  de- 
ceased;   Albert    went    as    a    missionary    to 
India  and  \vas  killed  in  the  mutiny  in   1848 
,  alx)nt  seven  hundred  miles  from   Calcutta ; 
Jnlius  C.  died   in  Ohio;  and  A\'illiam.  who 
spent  a  few  years  in  India,  was  iiresident  of 
the  Ihddle  Institute  in   North   t\arolina   for 
about  fifteen  year's  and  in  190 1  went  back  to 
Incha.     The  father  of  these  children  died  in 
1837  and  was  buried  in  Cadiz,  Ohio,  and 
the  nn^ther  passed  away  three  years  later. 


Thus  our  subject  was  early  dei)ri\ed  of  a 
father's  guidance  and  a  mother's  lo\ing 
care,  bein^'  onl_\-  ten  years  ot  a,i;e  when  left 
.an  ori)han.  Heini;"  thrown  u]jon  his  own  re- 
s(inrces  for  a  li\elihood,  he  obtained  employ- 
'.nent  in  a  tannery  and  contmued  to  work  at 
that  business  in  Ohio  for  six  years.  It  was 
in  1854  that  he  came  to  Illinois  and  took  up 
his  residence  in  Christian  county.  Here  he 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits 
and  in  his  farming  operations  he  met  with 
most  excellent  success,  becoming  the  owner 
of  nine  hundred  acres  of  \aluable  and  well 
improved  land. 

In  1859  ]\[r.  Johnson  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  ]\Iiss  Matilda  Baker,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(  Klinefelter)  Baker,  who  were  also  born  in 
that  state,  the  former  in  1802.  the  latter  in 
1804.  From  Pennsylvania  the  family  re- 
moved to  Clark  county.  Ohio,  and  in  1848 
came  to  Christian  county.  Illinois.  Here  the 
mi  )ther  died  a  year  later,  and  the  father,  w  ho 
long  sur\ived  her.  passed  away  in  1880, 
their  remains  being  interred  in  the  Clark 
cemetery  of  Johnson  township.  By  occupa- 
tion ]\lr.  Baker  was  a  farmer.  He  had  ten 
children,  namely:  Alexander,  deceased;  Isa- 
bell.  widow  of  Thomas  H.  Berry  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Johnson  township ;  jNIatilda.  now 
Mrs.  Johnson;  Savilla,  Jacob,  \\'illiam,  Hes- 
ter Ann.  and  Samuel,  all  deceased;  Eliza, 
the  deceased  wife  of  Henry  Ebert,  a  resident 
of  California:  and  ?\lary,  deceased  wife  of 
Matthew  Stone.  The  parents  of  these  chil- 
dren were  of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent. 

Unto  ATr.  and  Mrs.  Jolmson  were  born 
nine  children  :  AFargaret  E.,  now  the  wife 
of  lames  Hawkins,  of  Johnson  township: 
William  Henry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen years;  Alary,  the  wife  of  Henry  Dap- 
])ert,  a  farmer  of  Johnson  township;  Dru- 
silla  and  So])hronia.  who  are  at  home  with 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


4'Jl 


their  mother ;  Rebecca,  who  married  VV.  B. 
Hawkins  and  died  in  March,  1897;  Harriet, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  months ;  Mat- 
thew, who  married  Evelyn  Donaldson,  a 
native  of  Michigan;  and  Rachel,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Mr.  Johnson  always  took  cjuite  an  active 
interest  in  pnblic  affairs  and  his  influence 
was  always  found  on  the  side  of  right  and 
progress.  He  was  considered  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  farmers  of  his  community 
and  his  death,  which  occvu"red  June  10. 
1903,  occasioned  the  deepest  regret  through- 
out the  county.  He  was  a  man  of  the  high- 
est respectability  and  those  who  were  most 
intimately  associated  with  him  speak  in  un- 
qualified terms  of  his  sterling  integrity,  his 
honor  in  business  and  his  fidelity  to  all  the 
duties  of  public  and  private  life.  His  widow 
now  has  charge  of  the  home  farm  in  John- 
son township  and  is  successfully  conducting 
the  business.  She  is  a  most  estimable  lady 
of  many  sterling  qualities  and  has  a  large 
circle  of  friends. 


JAMES   B.    STEWART. 

James  B.  Stewart,  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming  on  section  32,  Mosquito 
township,  claims  Christian  county  as  his 
birthplace,  his  natal  day  Ijeing  August  28, 
1863.  His  father,  Francis  Stewart,  was 
born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  in  1837,  and 
spent  two  years  of  his  life  in  the  city  of 
Glasgow,  Scotland.  Determining  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  L^nited  States,  he  crossed  the 
broad  Atlantic  in  1857  and  first  located  in 
New  York  state,  where  he  spent  three  years. 
In  i860  he  came  to  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  made  his  home  here  for  many 
years,  but  finally  he  removed  to  Blue  Mound, 
where  he  li\-ed  retired  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  in  1897.     By  occupation  he  was  a 


farmer.  He  manifested  his  love  for  his 
adopted  country  by  enlisting  during  the 
Ci\il  war  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which  he 
ser\'ed  for  one  year.  In  earl)'  manhood  he 
married  Miss  Isabella  Ir\ine,  a  native  of 
Canada,  who  continues  to  make  her  home  in 
Blue  Mound,  Illinois. 

James  B.  Stewart  acquired  his  elementary 
education  in  the  ])ul)]ic  schools  of  Christian 
county  and  later  continued  his  education  at 
Dixon,  Illinois.  He  gave  his  father  the  ben- 
efit of  his  labors  until  1896,  when  he  com- 
menced farming  on  his  own  account  upon 
the  old  home  place,  an.d  is  now  the  owner  of 
a  fine  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
in  Mosquito  township  that  he  keeps  under  a 
liigh  state  of  cultivation.  The  well  tilled 
fields  yield  abundantly  and  he  derives  from 
his  farm  a  good  income. 

In  1896  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Stewart  and  Aliss  Agnes  Carr,  whose 
father.  James  Carr,  was  an  old  and  honored 
citizen  of  Christian  county.  Unto  them 
was  l:)orn  one  child,  Lena,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  one  year.  The  Republican  party 
finds  in  Mr.  Stewart  a  stanch  supporter  of 
its  principles,  and  he  is  now  efficiently  serv- 
ing as  school  director  in  his  district.  He  is 
pu])lic  spirited  and  [jrogressive  and  is  W'idely 
and  favoral)ly  known  throughout  his  natiN'C 
county. 


O.  O.  CORNEIL. 

O.  O.  Corneil,  a  hardware  merchant  of 
Owaneco,  is  but  a  recent  acquisition  to  the 
l)rogressive  business  men  of  that  town,  but 
his  ability,  enterprise  and  upright  methods 
have  already  gained  for  him  an  envial)le 
reputation.  Although  he  is  still  a  young- 
man  comparatively  his  popularity  is  estab- 
lished on  a  firm  basis — that  of  his  own  well 
tested  merit. 


492 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


Mr.    Corneil    is    a    native    of    Christian 
county,  born  September  i6,  1869,  and  is  a 
son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Corneil.  who  were 
born  in  Canada  and  came  to  this  country  in 
1869,  locating  in  Zenobia,  Christian  county, 
Illinois,    but    are    now     living    in     Shelby 
county,  this  state.    After  attending-  the  pub- 
lic schools  for  some  years  our  subject  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  this  count}.      He  re- 
mained   at    home    with    his    parents    until 
twenty-two  years  of  age  and  then  went  to 
Canada,   where  he  spent   six  months.      On 
his  return  to  Christian  county  he  engaged 
in    farming    on    rented    land    until    March, 
1902,   when  he   removed   to   Ow^aneco   and 
purchased   a    half    interest    in    a    hardware 
store  in  partnership  with  B.  F.  Corzine,  but 
three  months  later  he  bought  out  his  part- 
ner and  is  now  sole  proprietor.     He  carries 
a  good  line  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware, 
stoves,  oils,  paints,  etc.,  and  has  built  up  an 
excellent  trade,  wdiich  is  constantly  increas- 
ing. 

On  the  I  St  of  September,  1903,  Mr,  Cor- 
neil married  Miss  Peralee  Clawson,  a 
daughter  of  W.  A.  Clawson,  of  this  county. 
Religiously  they  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  socially  Mr. 
Corneil  is  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  has  represented 
the  local  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the 
state  for  the  past  two  3^ears.  His  political 
support  is  given  the  Democracy  and  he  is 
now  efficiently  serving  as  township  school 
treasurer  and  was  formerly  collector  of  his 
township. 


BENJAMIN  BECKENHEIMER. 

Benjamin  Beckenheimer.  a  well  known 
merchant  of  Pana,  was  lx)rn  in  Baltimore. 
Maryland,  in  1846.  His  father,  David 
Beckenheimer.   was   a   native   of   Germanv. 


his  birth  having  occurred  in  Baden.     Cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  to  America,   he   followed 
merchandising   and    in    his   business   career 
won  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity.     His  son 
Benjamin  entered  the  business  world  as  a 
clerk  and  was  also  a  bookkeeper  in  a  whole- 
sale house.     In  this  way  he  gained  a  start 
in  life  and  eventually  he  embarked  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  in  Pana,  Illinois,  in  1876, 
under    the   firm    name   of    B.    Goldstein    & 
Company,    the    store   being    located    in    the 
building  now  occupied  by  the  postoffice.    ,In 
September.  1876,  the  firm  erected  a  business 
block  of  their  own  and  stocked   it  with   a 
line  of  dry  goods  and  general  merchandise. 
Later  the  firm  was  re-organized  under  the 
name  of  Beckenheimer,  Goldstein  &  Com- 
pany and  that  relation  was  maintained  for 
about  ten  years,  when  Messrs.  Kleeman  and 
Cioldstein,    of    Shelbyville,    Illinois,    became 
partners.     The  new  relation  was  continued 
until   February,    1901.   when   the   firm   was 
dissolved    and    Mr.    Beckenheimer    became 
the  sole  proprietor.     In  1892  he  purchased 
of  A.   B.   Corman  the  store  known  as  the 
Golden  Eagle  Clothing  House  and  for  sev- 
eral years  he  conducted  the  two  establish- 
ments.    He  now'  carries  a  very  large  stock 
of    clothing,    men's    furnishing    goods    and 
shoes  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  business  men 
in  Pana  and  is  the  oldest  representative  of 
his  line  of  commercial  activity.     In  his  deal- 
ings he  is  very  honorable  and  straightfor- 
ward and  he  has  won  the  confidence  of  the 
public  to  a  very  great  degree. 

In  1876  Mr.  Beckenheimer  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Fannie  Goldstein,  a  na- 
tive of  Baden,  Germany,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  living:  Eva,  who  is  married  and 
resides  in  Ohio;  Mae  and  Hattie,  who  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Becken- 
heimer   is    a    Mason,    belonging    to    Pana 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


493 


Lodge,  No.  226,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  his 
life  he  exemphfies  the  beneficent  spirit  of 
the  craft,  for  he  has  thoroughly  informed 
himself  concerning  its  tenets  and  is  imbued 
with  its  teachings  concerning  brotherly 
kindness  and  mutual  helpfulness.  His  po- 
litical allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican 
party  and  while  he  has  never  been  a  poli- 
tician in  the  sense  of  office  seeking  he  has 
never  withheld  his  active  aid  and  co-opera- 
tion from  any  movements  or  measures  cal- 
culating to  advance  the  general  good.  Well 
does  he  deserve  to  be  classed  among  the  self- 
made  men  of  Pana,  for  he  started  out  upon 
his  business  career  without  capital.  He 
possesses,  however,  strong  determination, 
marked  executive  ability  and  keen  sagacity 
and  with  these  qualities  to  aid  him  in  his 
career  he  has  steadily  advanced  until  he  to- 
day occupies  an  enviable  and  honored  posi- 
tion in  trade  circles  and  is  enjoying  a  pat- 
ronage which  is  indeed  gratifying. 


A.  G.  BARNES. 


A.  G.  Barnes,  the  well  known  president 
of  the  Farmers'  National  Bank,  of  Taylor- 
ville,  is  to-day  the  oldest  business  man  of 
the  city  and  his  name  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  agricultural  and  commercial 
interests  of  Christian  county.  His  thor- 
oughly American  spirit  and  his  great  en- 
ergy have  enabled  him  to  mount  from  a 
lowly  position  to  one  of  affluence.  One  of  his 
leading  characteristics  in  business  affairs  is 
his  fine  sense  of  order  and  complete  system 
and  the  habit  of  giving  careful  attention  to 
details,  without  which  success  in  any  under- 
taking is  never  an  assured  fact. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Barnes 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  Septem- 
ber 4.  1835,  his  parents  being  Daniel  and 
Margaret    A.    (Richardson)    Barnes.      The 


father  was  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania 
and  was  a  bookbinder  for  the  state,  securing 
the  position  by  election.  Coming  to  Illinois 
in  1840,  he  first  located  in  Springfield, 
where  he  spent  ten  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Taylorville,  being  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business  at  this  place  for  some  time. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  died  and  were  buried 
here. 

During  the  residence  of  the  family  in 
Springfield,  A.  G.  Barnes  attended  school 
and  there  the  greater  part  of  his  education 
was  acquired,  although  he  was  subsequently 
a  student  at  Jacksonville  for  one  year.  He 
began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  at  De- 
catur, Illinois,  and  in  1855  opened  a  clothing 
store  in  Taylorville,  although  his  capital  on 
coming  to  this  place  consisted  of  only  one 
hundred  and  ten  dollars.  He  carried  on 
business  along  that  line  for  five  or  six  years 
and  in  1861  turned  his  attention  to  the  dry 
goods  trade,  being  alone  in  business  for  nine 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  firm  be- 
came Chamberlain  &  Barnes.  After  con- 
ducting that  store  for  thirty-one  years,  he 
sold  out  to  Slaten  Brothers  in  1902  and  re- 
tired from  mercantile  pursuits.  The  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  firm  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Barnes.  In  1900  he  organized  the 
Farmers'  National  Bank,  of  which  he  has 
since  served  as  president,  having  previous  to 
this  time  engaged  in  private  banking  busi- 
ness for  thirty-one  years.  He  owns  a  num- 
ber of  business  houses  in  Taylorville  and 
also  has  a  valuable  stock  farm  of  one  thou- 
sand acres  in  this  county,  where  he  raises 
standard  bred  horses,  including  fine  racers. 
He  has  one  stallion  with  a  record  of  2  :i2^. ; 
another  with  a  record  of  2:15^;  a  mare 
with  a  record  of  2  :i4^  ;  and  another  mare 
with  a  record  of  2:15^.  He  has  always 
taken  a  great  interest  in  horses  and  he  keeps 
a  number  of  men  to  take  care  of  his  stock 


404 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


and  attend  to  the  other  (hities  of  the  farm. 
Mr.  l)arnes  is  one  of  six  partners  who  have 
vahiable  landed  interests  in  southern  Ilh- 
nois  and  tiniher  land  in  Mississipjii  to  tlie 
amount  of  six  thousand  four  hundred  and 
seventy  acres.  Nature  evidently  designed 
him  for  a  husiness  man,  as  every  enterprise 
witli  which  he  is  connected  seems  to  prosper 
the  minute  he  comes  into  control,  and  he 
has  oenerallv  carried  forward  to  successful 
completion  whatever  he  has  undertaken. 

Mr.  Barnes  was  married  in  i860  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Branson,  a  native  of  Sangamon 
county.  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Benja- 
min Bran-son.  Of  the  seven  children  born 
of  this  union  two  died  in  infancy,  the  others 
being  Benjamin  L.,  who  married  Gertrude 
Hazlet  and  is  now  a  general  merchant  and 
])ostmaster  at  Harvel,  Illinois;  Albert  T., 
who  married  Florence  Shumway  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Denver,  Colorado;  Hallie,  the  wife 
of  George  L.  Banks;  Clara  May,  wife  of 
A.  R.  Adams,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Tay- 
lorville;  and  W.  E.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Barnes  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
belonging  to  the  conimandery  at  Springfield, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  Rose  Bud  Chapter, 
O.  E.  S.,  of  Taylorville.     In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  religious  faith  is  a  Pres- 
byterian.    As  a  business  man  he  has  done 
much   to   advance  the   interests  of   Taylor- 
ville and  he  has  l)een  an  eye  witness  of  prac- 
tically the  entire  development   of  the  city. 
On  locating  here  there  was  not  a  sidewalk 
in  the  tow'n  and  he  had  to  wade  through  the 
mud  in  rubber  boots.     As  there  was  no  rail- 
road here  at  that  time  he  rode  by  train  to 
Assumption   and    from   there   he   made   the 
journey  on  horseback  to  Taylorville.      He 
has  become  well  known  throughout  this  por- 
tion of  Illinois  as  a  prominent  figiuT  in  busi- 
ness circles  and  he  ranks  among  the  leading 
citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


JACOB  BILYEU. 

Jacob  Bilyeu  is  one  of  Christian  county's 
native  sons,  for  he  was  born  on  the  farm  in 
Prairieton  township  where  he  now  resides, 
May  16,  1865,  and  he  is  a  representative  of 
an  honored  pioneer  family  of  this  state.  His 
father,  George  Bilyeu,  was  bt)rn  in  Tennes- 
see in  1815,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1829, 
settling  in  Sangamon  county,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood.  He  married  ]\Iiss  Elizabeth 
Workman,  whose  birth  occurred  m  1S23, 
and  they  continued  to  make  their  home  in 
Sangamon  county  until  1850,  when  they  re- 
moN-ed  to  Christian  county  and  settled  on  the 
farm  w'here  our  subject  now  li\es.  By  oc- 
cupation the  father  was  a  farmer  and  he 
continued  the  operation  of  his  land  until 
called  to  his  final  rest  on  the  i8th  of  ]\Iarch, 
1895.  His  wife  .still  survives  him  and  con- 
tinues to  reside  on  the  old  homestead  farm. 

Jacob  Bilyeu  passed  his  early  life  amid 
rural  scenes  and  as  soon  as  old  enough  to 
be  of  any  assistance  began  to  aid  in  the  oper- 
ation of  the  farm.  He  also  attended  the 
neighboring  schools  and  after  completing  his 
education  gave  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  agricultural  pul-suits.  Since  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  has  engaged  in  farming  on  his 
own  account,  and  lie  and  his  mother  now 
own  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Prai- 
rieton township,  their  home  being  on  section 
3.  He  thoroughly  understands  the  occupa- 
tion he  has  chosen  as  a  life  work,  and  being 
a  man  of  good  business  and  executive  abil- 
ity, he  has  met  with  excellent  success  in  his 
undertakings  and  now  ranks  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  his  community.  In  con- 
nection with  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  he  is 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  Hereford 
cattle. 

On  th.e  19th  of  August^  1S81,  Mr.  Bilyeu 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Verinda 
Adams,  a  daughter  of  Isom  Adams,  of  Prai- 


MR.   AND   MRS.  GEORGE   BILYEU 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


497 


rieton  township,  whose  sketch  appears  on 
another  page  of  this  vohime.  By  tiiis  union 
eight  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Eva 
Lena,  George  Isom,  James,  John  William, 
Lilly  May,  Jacob  Eugene,  Charles  Thomas 
and  Clarence  Wilber,  all  at  home  with  their 
parents.  The  family  is  connected  with  the 
Christian  church  and  Mr.  Bilyeu  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ca and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.  By 
his  ballot  he  supports  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  has  filled  the 
offices  of  school  director  and  road  commis- 
sioner in  a  creditable  and  satisfactory  man- 
ner. 


JAMES  R.  SHARP. 

No  history  of  this  section  of  Illinois 
would  be  complete  without  mention  of  the 
Sharp  family,  of  whom  James  R.  Sharp  is 
now  a  worthy  and  well  known  representa- 
tive. He  was  born  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  near  Scottsville.  in  March,  1852, 
and  in  May  of  the  same  year  his  parents 
removed  to  what  afterward  l)ecame  the  town 
of  Sharpsburg,  Christian  county.  He  is  a 
son  of  Henry  H.  and  Clarinda  (Redfern) 
Sharp  and  on  the  paternal  line  he  comes  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent,  while  on  the  maternal 
line  he  is  of  German  lineage.  The  Sharp 
family  was  established  in  America  long 
pior  to  the  Revolutionary  ^^ar  by  emigrants 
from  the  old  world  who  first  settled  in 
North  Carolina,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Virginia.  At  a  later  date  the  family  was 
founded  in  Tennessee  during  the  pioneer 
period  in  the  development  of  that  state. 

William  Sharp,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Tennessee  and  was 
there  married  to  Miss  Barbara  Hunter,  also 
a  native  of  Tennessee.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children  and  in  1836  they 
removed    with    their    family    to    Macoupin 


county,  Illinois,  settling  in  the  northwestern 
portion  of  that  county.  There  another 
child  was  added  to  the  family.  In  1838 
Mrs.  Sharp  died  and  William  Sharp  after- 
ward wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  Wilson,  by 
whom  he  had  fixe  children.  He  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade  and  throughout  his  en- 
tire life  he  followed  that  pursuit.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  20th  of  June,  1875. 
By  his  first  union  he  had  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Mont- 
gomery; John;  Henry  H. ;  Winnefred,  the 
wife  of  Gabriel  Hurt;  Lawson;  George  R. ; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  John  Fair;  William  N. ; 
Barbara,  the  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Fair;  and 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Wesley  Henderson.  Too 
much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  the  char- 
acter of  William  Sharp,  who  lived  an  up- 
right honorable  life,  teaching  by  example 
as  well  as  by  precept.  For  forty  years  he 
was  held  as  a  model  for  the  young  and  his 
life  was  also  an  inspiration  for  the  giged. 
An  earnest  Christian  gentleman,  he  held 
membership  in  the  Baptist  church,  in  which 
he  served  as  deacon  for  many  years.  At  all 
times  he  was  honorable  in  his  relations 
with  his  fellow  men  and  his  integrity  stood 
as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his  career.  His 
second  wife  died  about  four  years  prior  to 
his  death. 

Henry  H.  Sharp,  father  of  our  subject, 
removed  to  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  when 
twelve  years  of  age.  ^Vhen  twenty-one  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Mexican  War, 
joining  the  army  in  June,  1846,  and  serving 
until  June,  1847.  His  brother,  John  Sharp, 
the  uncle  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  veteran 
of  the  Mexican  War,  accompanying  his 
brother  throughout  the  military  service. 
The  following  fall  after  their  discharge 
from  the  army  they  went  to  Iowa  and  lo- 
cated the  land  warrants  which  had  been 
given  tliem  in  recognition  of  the  aid  which 


408 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


they  rendered  during  the  war.  They  se- 
cured a  claim  near  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Oskaloosa  and  for  a  few  months 
remained  in  Iowa,  but  returned  the  follow- 
ing year.  On  the  26th  of  June,  185 1,  Henry 
H.  Sharp  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Clarinda  Redfern,  a  native  of  Macoupin 
county,  Illinois,  and  unto  them  were  born 
eight  children.  In  1852  they  removed  to 
Christian  county,  settling  in  Buckhart  town- 
ship. Henry  H.  Sharp  afterward  sold  his 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Iowa 
and  bought  a  farm  in  Buckhart  township, 
comprising  eighty  acres,  for  which  he  paid 
five  dollars  per  acre.  When  the  Springfield 
&  Southeastern  Railroad  was  being  con- 
structed through  this  county  he  and  his 
brothers,  John  and  George  R.  Sharp,  were 
instrumental  in  having  erected  a  depot  near 
their  homes  in  order  to  facilitate  their  ship- 
ments and  the  railroad  company  gave  to  the 
little  village  the  name  of  Sharpsburg. 
Henry  H.  Sharp  was  very  prominently  iden- 
tified with  public  affairs  in  his  township, 
contributed  largely  to  the  general  good 
through  his  business  activity  and  his  co- 
operation in  public  interests  and  for  many 
years  he  was  an  exemplary  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  died  February  6, 
1890.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Henry 
and  John  were  together  through  the  Mex- 
ican war,  that  they  lived  on  adjoining  farms, 
married  sisters  after  the  war  and  each  had 
eight  children. 

James  R.  Sharp,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  in  Blackburn  University.  In 
1 87 1  he  became  connected  with  mercantile 
life  and  was  traveling  salesman  for  the  R. 
P.  Srtiith  Shoe  Company  of  Bloomington 
for  five  years.  In  1884  he  became  agent  for 
the  Phoenix  Fire  Insurance  Company  and 
occupied  that  position  until  January,   1903. 


when  he  became  manager  for  the  American 
Assurance  Company  of  Newark,  New  Jer- 
sey, having  jurisdiction  over  twenty-four 
Counties  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  His  ex- 
perience in  connection  with  the  insurance 
business  covers  twenty  years,  during  which 
time  he  demonstrated  his  excellent  quali- 
fications for  the  position  which  he  now  oc- 
cupies. He  was  successful  in  his  work  and 
his  efforts  brought  to  him  a  good  financial 
return  and  proved  of  profit  to  the  coinpanies 
which  he  represented. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1875,  Mr.  Sharp 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Flora  A. 
Traylor,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  I.  and  Mary 
(Mahaler)  Traylor,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sharp  have  a  pleas- 
ant home  in  Taylorville  and  their  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  three  children : 
Henry  Isles,  ]Mack  H.  and  Flossie  I.  In  his 
political  affiliations  ]Mr.  Sharp  is  a  Demo- 
crat, but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  pub- 
lic office.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been  a 
devoted  and  loyal  member  of  the  Mound 
Lodge,  No.  122,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  he  also 
belongs  to  ^vlystic  Lodge,  No.  164,  K.  P. 
He  is  a  man  of  genial  temperament  and  un- 
failing courtesv,  well  fitted  for  the  line  of 
work  which  he  has  chosen  and  in  Christian 
county,  where  he  is  so  widely  known,  he 
enjoys  the  unqualified  confidence,  respect 
and  good  will  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact. 


O.  K.  MICENHIMMER. 

A  natixe  of  Johnson  township  where  he 
still  continues  to  make  his  home,  O.  K.  Mi- 
cenhimmer  has  been  identified  with  the  ag- 
ricultural interests  of  that  locality  since 
reaching  man's  estate,  and  he  is  to-day  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-three  acres  on  section  22.  He  was 
born  here  on  the  22d  of  lanuarv,  1866,  and 


1 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


499 


is  a  worthy  representative  of  an  old  and 
honored  pioneer  family  of  Christian  county, 
his  parents  being  Daniel  and  Julia  (Kellar) 
Micenhimmer,  who  located  here  in  1840. 
They  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
father  died  in  this  county  in  1870,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  For  over  sixty-three  years  she 
has  made  her  home  here  and  is  to-day  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  of  Johnson  township.  She 
was  left  considerable  property  at  her  hus- 
band's death  and  is  still  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  having 
given  the  remainder  to  her  children.  A  lady 
of  many  admirable  traits  of  character,  she 
has  become  widely  and  favorably  known 
and  her  circle  of  friends  is  very  extensive. 

Like  most  farmer  boys  O.  K.  Micenhim- 
mer aided  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  and  per- 
formed such  other  farm  work  which  falls  to 
the  lot  of  those  reared  in  the  country  and  his 
literary  education  was  obtained  in  the  local 
schools.  Having  become  a  thorough  and 
practical  agriculturist,  he  commenced  farm- 
ing for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
upon  land  owned  by  his  mother  and  two 
years  later  she  gave  him  the  place  he  now 
owns  and  operates,  consisting  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-three  acres.  It  was  a  wild 
tract  when  it  came  into  his  possession,  but 
he  has  converted  it  into  a  well  improved 
farm.  He  follows  general  farming  and 
stock-raising. 

Mr.  Micenhimmer  was  married  March  7, 
1894,  to  Miss  Mary  Porterfield,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Elizabeth  Porterfield,  now 
living  in  Taylorville.  Her  father  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sangamon  county,  this  state,  but  her 
mother  was  born  in  Ohio.  Mrs.  Micenhim- 
mer is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Micen- 
himmer is  a  stalwart  Democrat  and  he  takes 
quite  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs. 


ROBERT  NEWTON. 

This  well  known  and  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Rosamond  township,  residing  on 
section  15,  was  born  in  Tuscaraw^as  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  23d  of  November,  1846,  a  son 
of  Isaac  and  Rachel  Newton,  in  whose  fam- 
ily were  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six 
daughters.  By  trade  the  father  was  a 
cooper,  but  followed  farming  in  his  later 
years.  Our  subject  began  his  education  in 
an  old  time  log  school  house  with  a  huge 
fireplace  at  one  end  and  furnished  with 
plank  benches,  but  later  pursued  his  studies 
in  a  frame  building.  His  boyhood  and 
youth  were  passed  upon  the  home  farm. 

Desiring  to  make  for  himself  a  home,  Mr. 
Newton  left  the  parental  roof  after  attaining 
his  majority  and  worked  by  the  month  and 
year  for  nine  years,  following  various  occu- 
pations during  that  time,  including  farm 
work  and  coal  mining,  at  which  he  engaged 
for  two  winters  in  Ohio.  Having  saved 
some  money  he  then  purchased  a  small  farm 
on  a  bluff,  which  he  afterward  sold  for 
eighty-three  dollars  per  acre. 

It  was  in  1881  that  Mr.  Newton  left  Ohio 
and  came  to  Illinois,  first  locating  near  Oco- 
nee, Shelby  county,  where  he  spent  twelve 
years,  renting  a  farm  of  nine  hundred  and 
sixty  acres.  In  1893  he  removed  to  Chris- 
tian county  and  settled  south  of  his  present 
beautiful  home  on  section  15,  Rosamond 
township,  remaining  there  six  months.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  located  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides  and  has  since  devoted 
his  time  and  energies  to  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  his  place.  In  1894  he 
erected  a  substantial  barn  for  the  storing  of 
hay  and  grain  and  later  built  another  barn, 
which  is  really  a  corncrib  and  carriage  house 
combined.  This  building  also  contains  a 
complete  work  shop,  where  he  does  all  kinds 
of  repairing.     The  old  house  has  been  set 


500 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


aside  for  a  smokehouse  and  has  been  re- 
placed by  a  regular  city  home  with  all  mod- 
ern conveniences.  It  was  designed  by  Hoff- 
man Brothers,  architects  of  Fillmore,  Illi- 
nois, though  Mr.  Newton  assisted  in  mak- 
ing the  plans.  The  house  is  heated  by  hot 
air  and  furnished  in  a  most  a])proved  man- 
ner, making  it  a  very  attractive  home.  In 
connection  with  general  farming  he  is  en- 
eaeed  in  stock-raising  and  owns  a  thor- 
oughbred  Shire  stallion,  John  Jay,  a  famous 
animal  with  a  good  record,  being  one  of  the 
finest  types  of  the  Shire  breed  in  this  coun- 
trv.  His  blood  is  of  the  best,  among  his 
ancestors  being  such  famous  horses  as  Car- 
dinal, Heart  of  Oal,  Glory,  Honest  Tom 
and  Thumper.  He  is  a  beautiful  gray  with 
long  mane  and  weighs  twenty-two  hundred 
pounds.  In  competition  he  always  carries 
off  the  laurels,  having  won  the  first  prize 
when  on  exhibition  in  show  rings  on  three 
different  occasions  when  competition  was 
strong. 

At  Canal  Dover,  Ohio,  September  5, 
1874.  Mr.  Newton  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  Fockler,  who  was  born  December 
9,  185 1,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Tamsan 
(Swigert)  Fockler.  Her  mother  was  born 
in  Harrison  county,  Pennsylvania,  January 
20.  1827,  and  during  childhood  was  taken 
l)y  her  parents  to  Coshocton  county,  Ohio, 
where  she  resided  for  many  years.  On  the 
15th  of  February,  1847,  she  gave  her  hand 
in  marriage  to  Daniel  Fockler,  by  whom  she 
had  seven  children,  six  still  living.  Re- 
sponding to  the  country's  call  to  arms  dur- 
ing the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war  her  hus- 
band shouldered  his  musket  and  became  a 
brave  and  faithful  soldier  for  the  Union. 
He  enlisted  in  1861  in  Company  B.  Fifty- 
first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  war  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge.    With  his  comrades  he  started  joy- 


fully home,  happy  in  the  anticipation  of 
meeting  wife  and  little  ones.  He  was  strong 
and  hearty  and  had  money  in  his  pockets 
for  the  ]o\ed  ones  at  home.  He  was  last 
seen  b)-  his  comrades  at  Port  W^ashington, 
Ohio,  not  far  from  home,  but  there  he  sud- 
denly disappeared  as  if  the  ground  had 
()])ened  and  swallowed  him  and  no  trace  of 
him  was  ever  discovered.  Death  at  such  a 
time  would  have  been  a  terrible  shock  to  all. 
but  this  unexplained  disappearance  was 
worse  than  death,  ^^'ith  Christian  forti- 
tude the  widow  gathered  the  little  ones  more 
closely  about  her  and  devoted  her  life  to 
their  good.  She  was  ever  the  kindest  of 
mothers  and  the  grief  of  her  bereavement 
was  hidden  from  them  in  her  heart.  For 
some  years  her  health  was  not  of  the  best, 
but  she  was  tenderly  cared  for  by  her  chil- 
dren, who  appreciate  what  she  did  for  them 
in  former  vears.  She  was  a  faithful  mem- 
l)er  of  the  Methodist  church  and  was  ready 
to  go  when  the  Master  called. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  have  been 
born  seven  children,  namely :  Belle,  now 
the  wife  of  \\'illiam  Drain,  of  Oconee,  Shel- 
by county,  by  whom  she  has  two  children, 
Mildred  and  Harokl;  Edward,  at  home; 
Florence,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year; 
Maud,  Lucy  and  Jennie,  all  at  home;  and 
Ray,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years  and 
two  months.  The  children  have  been  given 
good  school  advantages  and  the  family  is 
one  of  prominence  in  the  community  where 
they  reside.  They  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  which  Mrs.  Newton  is 
a  very  active  and  prominent  member,  being- 
first  vice-president  of  the  missionary  board, 
steward  of  the  church  and  Sunday-school 
teacher. 

Mr.  Newton  can  relate  many  interesting 
experiences  of  pioneer  life.  He  well  re- 
members when  the  first  parlor  lamps  used 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTS'.   ILLINOIS. 


501 


in  Oliio  were  the  old  brass  lamps.  He  often 
helped  to  mold  and  dip  candles  and  used  to 
])()lisli  the  old  brass  lamp.  During  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  his  clothes  were  mostly 
made  of  linsey  woolsey  and  jeans.  At  that 
time  the  family  went  to  camp  meeting  in  an. 
ox  cart,  the  grove  being  lighted  up  at  night 
by  candles  fastened  to  the  bushes.  Cooking 
was  done  over  the  fireplace,  the  kettles  being 
suspended  from  a  huge  crane.  When  his 
parents  first  went  to  housekeeping,  the  cook- 
ing was  done  in  a  dugout  and  the  bread 
liaked  in  a  tin  reflecter  set  in  front  of  the 
fireplace.  Mr.  Newton  has  eaten  corn  pone 
baked  on  a  board  before  the  fire.  His  first 
plow  was  of  the  old  jay  kind  and  he  culti- 
A'ated  his  corn  w^ith  a  single  shovel  plow  to 
which  one  horse  was  hitched.  To  cut  his 
grain  he  used  the  reap  hook  and  scythe  be- 
fore the  cradle  came  into  use.  Thinsis  have 
changed  very  materially  since  those  times, 
and  Mr.  New-ton's  farm  is  now  supplied 
with  the  latest  improved  machinery  and  all 
of  the  conveniences  and  accessories  of  a 
model  farm  are  there  found.  Mr.  Newton 
is  a  man  of  exemplary  habits,  never  using 
tobacco  or  intoxicating  flrinks  in  any  form, 
and  his  life  has  been  such  as  to  gain  for  him 
the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  broue-ht  in  contact.  In 
business  affairs  he  has  met  with  success  and 
the  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  is  w^ell 
merited,  for  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
with  no  capital  and  by  industry,  persever- 
ance and  g(^od  management  has  worked  his 
way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence. 


THE  ASSUMPTION  NEWS. 

The  Assumption  Nczcs  is  the  oldest  paper 
in  Assumption  and  one  of  the  oldest  in 
Christian  county.  Through  neglect  on  the 
part  of  the  founders  no  files  were  kept  and 
the  early  books  have  been  destroyed.     It  is 


known,  however,  that  the  paper  is  more  than 
twenty  years  old.  It  was  first  started  as  the 
Saturday  Morning  Herald  and  ran  under 
this  name  for  more  than  ten  years.  Several 
different  men  had  it  during  this  period  and 
all  records  were  either  lost  or  destroyed. 

The  paper  was  purchased  by  Herbert  E. 
Bixby  about  nine  years  ago  and  the  name 
changed  to  71ic  Assumption  Ncivs.  At  the 
same  time  the  publication  was  changed  from 
Saturday  to  Thursday,  Mr.  Bixby  feeling 
that  this  date  ga\'e  his  advertisers  a  better 
opportunity  to  reach  his  readers  in  time  for 
their  week-end  trading.  That  this  move 
was  a  wise  one  was  proved  by  the  circulation 
list,  this  taking  an  almost  immediate  up- 
ward jump.  The  advertisers  also  showed 
their  appreciation  by  increasing  their  space. 

The  News  remained  in  Air.  Bixby's  pos- 
session until  his  death  in  August,  1902.  It 
was  then  run  by  the  executor  of  his  estate, 
E.  C.  Watson,  until  March  17.  1903,  when 
the  paper  and  plant  w'as  purchased  by  F.  W. 
Compton,  and  he,  in  turn,  s()ld  it  to  Richard 
D.  Hel)b.  a  young  newspaper  man.  Mr. 
Hebl)  is  a  Hoosier  product,  having  been 
born  in  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  and  receiving 
his  early  education  there.  He  was  practi- 
cally reared  in  a  print-shoj),  his  father, 
George  H.  Hebb,  liaving  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  equipped  offices  in  western  Indiana. 
.Shortly  after  leaving  school  Air.  Hebb  went 
to-  work  as  a  reporter  on  the  Terre  Haute 
Tribune,  and  since  that  time  has  been  en- 
gaged in  newspaper  work  in  New  York  cit}', 
Pittsburg,  Chicago  and  Kansas  City.  Im- 
mediately after  taking  charge  of  the  A'eics, 
Mr.  Hebb  enlarged  the  paper  from  a  six  to 
a  seven  column,  eight  ])age  paper.  The 
N^ezes  has  ahvays  ha<l  a  reputation  for  reli- 
ability and  conservatism  that  speaks  well  for 
its  owners  and  its  desirability  as  a  good, 
honie  paper. 


502 


PAST  AND   PRESENT 


J.  W.  CAMi'BI<:LL. 

j.  W.  Canii)bell.  the  popular  postmaster 
of  Morrisom  ille.  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  ha\ing  occurred  in  Sangamon  county, 
1841.  [lis  ancestors  came  originally  from 
Scotland,  but  the  family  was  founded  in 
this  country  at  an  early  day.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  killed  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Abraham  Campbell,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  Illinois  in  181 1  and  became  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  preacher,  his  time  be- 
ing de\cjted  to  the  wtjrk  of  the  ministry 
from  1852  until  his  death  in  1878.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Phoebe  Shep- 
pard  and  belonged  to  a  prominent  Ohio  fam- 
ily, in  which  state  she  w'as  born. 

Mr.  Campbell,  of  this  review,  began  his 
Ijusiness  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  drug  store 
and   later  applied   himself  to  the  study   of 
medicine,  Ijemg  graduated  at  the  American 
Medical  College  of  St.  Louis  in  1877.     He 
engaged     in    the    practice    of    his    chosen 
profession  and  also  conducted  a  drug  store 
at  Ashley,  Illinois,  until  coming  to  Morri- 
son\ille   in    1874.      Here  he  has   made   his 
home  continuously  since  and  has  served  as 
postmaster  most  of  the  time,  being  first  ap- 
pointed to  that  position  in  February,   1878, 
by   President  Hayes.      Being  a   Republican 
he  was  out  of  office  during  President  Cleve- 
land's  administration,   but   when   his   party 
again  came  mto  power  he  was  re-appointed, 
which   fact  plainly  indicates  his  fidelity  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him  and  the  high  re- 
gard in  Vx'hich  he  is  held  by  his  fellow  citi- 
zens.    He  takes  a  very  active  and  prominent 
l)art  in  ])olitical  affairs  and  is  a  recognized 
leader  of  his  party  in  this  i:)art  of  the  state. 
He  has  secured  icnn  rural  routes  for  Chris- 
tian   county   and   in   other   ways    has   done 
much  to  promote  the  interests  of  this  region. 
Mr.  Campl)ell  has  been  twice  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  countv  board  and  was  its  chair- 


man, lie  has  also  served  as  mayor  of  Mor- 
rison vi  lie  and  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  many  years.  His  public  and  pri- 
vate life  are  alike  above  reproach  for  he  has 
,'dwavs  been  found  true  to  every  trust  re- 
])Osed  in  him  and  has  discharged  his  official 
duties  in  a  most  capable  and  satisfactory 
manner. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  married  in  1865  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Gil),  who  is  a  representative 
of  an  old  pioneer  family  of  Kentucky,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  the  follovt^ing  chil- 
dren:  Nellie,  deceased;  Renie;  Kittie,  also 
deceased ;  Fannie ;  and  Eva,  who  is  now* 
serving  as  deputy  postmaster  under  her 
father. 


CHARLES  A.   MONTGOMERY. 

Charles  A.  Montgomery,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  Mount  Auburn  town- 
ship, has  spent  his  entire  life  upon  the  farm 
(ui  section  25  where  he  now  resides,  his 
birth  having  occurred  there  February  -8, 
1863.  His  parents  were  John  and  Sarah 
(  Snider)  Montgomery,  the  former  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  May  24,  18 17,  the  latter  in 
Maryland,  January  26,  182 1.  It  w-as  in  1848 
that  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  after  living 
elsewhere  for  some  years  they  took 
u])  their  residence  in  Christian  county  in 
i860.  Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather, 
J.  R.  JMontgomery,  was  born  in  Ireland  in 
1790  and  when  ten  years  of  age  came  to  this 
countrv  with  his  mother,  his  father  being 
already  here. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Charles 
A.  Montgomery  remained  at  home  with  his 
l)arents  and  pursued  his  studies  in  the  Mont- 
gomery district  school.  He  lived  with  his 
father  until  the  latter's  death  and  has  since 
h'dd  cliarge  of  the  old  home  place,  owning 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


503 


tir)ii.  He  is  a  progressive  and  energetic 
fanner  and  has  met  with  good  success  in  his 
chosen  work. 

Mr.  Montgomery  was  married  in  1894 
to  Miss  Margaret  Kennedy,  a  daughter  of 
Malachy  and  Mary  (O'Brien)  Kennedy. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1843.  It  was 
in  1850  that  he  became  a  resident  of  IIH- 
nois.  He  (hed  in  1895,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  August,  1892.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery : 
one  who  died  in  infancy;  Charles  I. ;  and 
B.  K.  and  Mary,  twins.  Mary  died  when 
only  three  days  old.  The  wife  and  mother 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  she 
and  her  husl)and  are  highly  respected  by  all 
who  know^  them. 


THOMAS   H.   DEVLIN. 

Thomas  H.  Devlin  is  occupying  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  superintendent  of  the 
Assumption  Coal  &  Mining  Company.  In 
his  boyhood  days  he  became  identified  with 
this  line  of  work  in  a  most  humble  capacity 
and  his  advancement  has  come  to  him  as 
the  direct  reward  of  liis  labor,  capability  and 
honesty.  He  w-as  born  in  Ayreshire,  Scot- 
land, on  the  20th  of  July.  1866,  a  son  of 
Thomas  H.  and  Margaret  (Spence)  Dev- 
lin. The  father  died  in  1892  in  Scotland 
and  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  Spring 
Valley,  Illinois,  in  1893.  Mr.  Devlin,  Sr., 
was  for  many  years  examiner  in  the  iron 
and  stone  mines  of  the  Baird  Company  of 
Scotland  and  was  filling  that  position  at 
the  time  of  his  demise.  In  his  family  were 
six  children,  of  whom  three  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are  Elizabeth,  the  wnfe  of  Joseph 
Warnock,  of  Spring  Valley,  Illinois; 
Thomas  H.,  of  this  review-;  and  Margaret, 
the  wife  of  Andrew  Sweninger,  of  Assump- 
tion. 


Thomas  H.  Devlin  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  country  to  a  limited 
extent,  but  his  educational  privileges  were 
somewhat  meager.  After  coming  to  Amer- 
ica he  became  a  student  in  the  night  schools 
in  Spring  Valley,  Illinois.  While  still  in 
Scotland  he  became  connected  with  mining 
interests  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  He 
worked  in  the  shaft  in  his  native  country  un- 
til 1881,  when  on  the  25th  of  March  of  that 
3ear  he  sail  for  America  with  his  mother. 
After  reaching  the  new  world  he  engaged 
in  farming  for  two  years  and  later  was  con- 
nected with  mining  operations  in  the  Braid- 
wood  district  in  Will  county,  working  in 
every  department  within  the  mines.  He  after- 
ward became  an  employe  of  the  Spring  Val- 
ley Coal  Company  and  while  in  that  service 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  driving 
boss.  On  the  25th  of  January,  1897,  ^""^  '^^' 
cepted  a  position  as  mine  manager,  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  the  position  which  he  now 
occupies,  as  superintendent  of  the  Assump- 
tion Coal  &  Mining  Company.  In  this  ca-' 
pacity  he  has  supervision  over  about  two 
hundred  workmen,  of  which  number  one 
hundred  and  forty  are  miners  under  ground. 
Since  assuming  the  management  he  has 
made  considerable  improvement  in  the  mines 
and  their  method  of  operation.  He  found 
a  number  of  leaks  and  repair  work  was  also 
called  for  in  other  directions.  The  mine,  of 
which  he  has  charge,  is  one  thousand  and 
four  feet  deep  from  the  surface  of  the  ground 
to  the  surface  of  the  coal  veins  and  extends 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  to  the  south  and 
west,  covering  about  twenty  acres  of  ter- 
ritory. It  is  necessary  to  follow  the  valley 
in  order  to  obtain  the  product.  There  is 
an  average  of  from  four  hundred  and  fiftv 
to  four  hundred  and  seventy  tons  of  coal 
taken  out  daily  gind  the  output  finds  a  ready 


.04 


PAST   AND  TRF.SF.NT 


sale  on  the  market,  bringing;'  to  tlic  niinc 
owners  an  excellent  nnancial  return.  Plans 
are  now  being  perfected  ^vl^ereb\■  mules  tliat 
lia\e  been  used  in  hauling  will  be  superseded 
bv  electric  power.  The  main  road  is  oper- 
ated by  electricity  for  over  tweKe  hundred 
feet  from  the  shaft  bottom.  One  of  the 
largest  J-  M.  Christy  has.  car  loaders  is 
being"  placed  in  the  plant,  and  a  new  tdur- 
teen-foot  fan  is  also  being  placed  in  ]xisi- 
tion.  Throughout  his  entire  life  ]\Ir.  Dev- 
lin has  been  connected  with  mining  inter- 
ests, \vith  ^^■hich  he  is  thoroughlv  familiar 
in  all  of  the  peculiar  workings  and  his  ex- 
cellent qualifications  A\ell  entitle  him  to  the 
position  which  he  is  now  acceptably  filling. 

In  Alonroe.  Iowa,  on  the  29th  of  Septem- 
ber. 1885.  ]\Ir.  Devlin  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Orma  E.  Wo<::)d.  a  native  of  Jasper 
county,  low  a.  and  a  daughter  of  Eli  F.  and 
Elizabeth  (Fudge)  Wood.  The  former  was 
a  native  of  Indiana  and  the  latter  of  Penn- 
sylvania, but  Ijoth  are  now  deceased.  Mrs. 
Devlin  belonged  to  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  yet  living.  She  has 
tliree  sisters  who  are  married  and  reside  in 
Iowa,  and  all  their  families.  Unto  Air.  and 
Mrs.  Devlin  have  been  born  five  children, 
but  Archibald,  the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years  and  eight  months.  1die  others 
are  Alexander,  Mabel,  Charles  and  Statia. 
all  at  home. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De\lin  are  members 
of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  and  he  is  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations.  He 
is  now  a  member  of  the  library  board  of 
Assumption  and  is  interested  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  sulDStantial  imi)rovement  of  his 
adopted  city.  He  ow  ns  a  ])leasant  home  in 
the  southwest  part  of  the  town  which  is  the 
visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  thrift  and  in- 
dustry. He  has  indeed  been  a  busy  man 
and  from  early  l)oyhood  days  has  labored  un- 


tinngl}'.  making  his  wa}'  upward  in  the  face 
of  competition,  winning  achancement 
throuuh  al)ilitv  and  as  the  result  of  his  close 
application  and  industry.  His  fellow  towns- 
men accord  him  their  respect  by  reason  of 
what  he  has  accomplished  and  his  life  rec- 
ord is  a  splendid  illustration  of  the  oppf)r- 
tunities  which  America  offers  to  her  citi- 
zens. 


JOHN  MORAN. 
John  Moran.  who  has  operated  consider- 
ably in  real  estate  and  dealt  in  fine  horses  in 
Assumption,  is  also  the  leading  retail  dealer 
in  wines,  licjuors  and  cigars.  He  was  born 
in  Wayne  county.  New  York,  August  12, 
1852,  a  son  of  James  and  Nora  (Donovan) 
Moran,  the  former  a  native  of  Queens  coun- 
tv,  Ireland,  and  th^  latter  of  County  Cork, 
Ireland.  In  1835  James  Aloran  crossed  the 
.\tlantic  to  the  new  world  on  a  sailing  vessel, 
which  was  three  months  in  completing  that 
\'oyage,  encountering  severe  w^eather  and 
facing  many  perils  ere  reaching  port  in  safe- 
ty. He  took  up  his  abode  in  Canada,  set- 
tling amid  the  forest,  at  a  place  called  Brr)ck, 
now  the  prosperous  town  of  Brockville,  On- 
tario. On  arriving  there  he  purchased  a 
small  tract  of  land  and  erected  a  little  shanty 
around  A\hich  the  wolves  w-ould  gather  at 
night,  how  ling  dismally.  They  would  often 
at  times  get  upon  the  shanty.  His  sister  also 
lived  there  Avith  him  and  later  on  he  sent  for 
his  }ounger  brother.  While  aboard  the  \"es- 
sel,  however,  this  brother  contracted  ship 
fever  and  on  reaching  his  destination  was 
severely  ill.  James  Moran  lived  at  such  a 
distance  from  a  town  that  he  took  his  sick 
brother  and  started  in  search  of  a  physician, 
walking  four  miles  in  order  to  secure  medi- 
cal aid.  After  receiving  some  medicine  they 
started  on  their  homeward  journey,  l)ut  the 
brotlier    soon    became    utterly    helpless    and 


JOHN   MORAN 


JAMES   MORAN 


MRS.  JAMES  MORAN 


I 


CHRISTIAN  COUXT^-.   ILLIXOIS. 


11 


James  Aloran  started  to  carry  liini  on  his 
back.  I-<*ii*4'  lieffjre  reaching  h(jnie,  how- 
exer,  the  brother  (bed  and  ])Iacing"  him  at  the 
roadside  ^\r.  Ab)ran  had  to  walk  several 
miles  in  order  to  get  a  wagon  in  which  he 
might  hanl  tiie  remains  of  his  deceased 
brother  home.  Later  the  sister  also  died 
and  the  two  members  of  tlie  famil}'  lie  bnried 
side  by  side  on  the  old  farm  in  the  midst  of 
the  Canadian  forest.  The  hardships  en- 
dured 1)}'  the  father  of  onr  sul)ject  if  writ- 
ten in  detail,  would  make  a  long  c^iapter  and 
(jne  of  deep  interest.  He  had  three  brothers 
and  a  sister  who  li\ed  to  be  eighty  _\"ears  of 
age  or  over,  Imt  all  are  n(nv  deceased. 

About  i<^4<;  James  .Moran  left  Canada 
and  crossed  the  border  into  the  United 
States,  going  to  New  ^'ork.  He  \vas  first 
employed  on  the  Erie  canal  and  was  a  very 
hard  working  man.  About  1850  he  met  and 
married  Miss  Xora  Donoxan,  who  also 
crossed  the  ocean  on  a  sailing"  \-essel,  being 
about  three  months  on  the  water.  In  1854 
James  Moran  removed  with  his  family  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Christian  county.  He  at 
first  bought  forty  acres  of  unim])roved  land 
adjfjining  the  corporation  limits  of  Mowea- 
f]ua.  Later  he  i)urchased  thirty-seven  acres 
on  the  prairie  in  Moweacpia  township,  and 
in  1866  bought  one  hundred  and  forty- four 
acres  in  Flat  Branch  township  Shelby 
county.  Hard  labor  was  recjuired  in  the 
clearing  and  developing  of  his  first  tract, 
which  was  know  n  as  the  Eastman  farm.  He 
had  an  ox  team  to  assist  him  in  his  work  and 
fnjm  early  morning  until  late  at  night  he 
continued  the  labor  of  clearing  the  fields  and 
preparing  them  for  ihe  ])low.  .\11  was  wild 
and  unimpro\ed  in  this  region  at  that  time. 
Deer  were  to  be  seen  in  droves  and  there 
were  many  ducks,  w  ild  turkeys,  geese,  cranes 
and  prairie  chickens.  ]\Ioweac|ua  was  the 
only  ])lace  that  contained  a  mill  and  peo])le 
26 


would  go  from  l>loomingt(;n  and  ither  long 
distances  to  that  mill,  making  the  journey 
in  wagfjn.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
war  corn  sold  at  ten  cents  ])er  bushel,  bnt 
ere  the  close  of  hostilities  it  brought  one  dul- 
hir  ]jer  bushel.  L'ntil  1885  the  father  of  our 
subject  continued  to  engage  in  farming, 
when  he  determined  to  ])ut  aside  the  more 
acti\e  cares  of  business  life  and  remo\e  to 
Assumption,  where  lie  ]i\ed  in  honorable  re- 
tirement from  further  labor  until  called  to 
his  iina!  rest.  August  18,  1901.  His  wife 
and  the  mother  oi  our  subject  passed  away 
.\])ril  18,  T898,  and  both  are  buried  in  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  cemetery.  His  life  was  one 
of  great  activity  and  energy  and  he  cer- 
tainly deserved  great  credit  for  what  he  ac- 
complished. 

I'nto  James  and  Xora  ]\Ioran  were  born 
se\en  children:  John,  wdiose  name  intro- 
duces this  review;  Dennis,  who  is  pnjprietor 
of  a  saloon  in  Kenney,  Illinois;  jMary,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  Kate  and 
Bettie,  who  are  li\-ing  with  their  jjrother 
John:  X^jra,  who  also  lives  with  the  family; 
and  Belle  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  Mal- 
hiot.  who  is  ]M"o]jriet<ir  of  a  saloon  in  As- 
sum];tion. 

John  Moran  has  been  a  resident  ot  Illi- 
nois since  two  years  of  age.  In  the  public 
schools  of  Moweaqua  and  Assumption  he 
pursued  his  education  and  was  reared  upon 
the  home  farm,  there  remaining  until  1888, 
when  he  came  to  Assumption.  Here  he  se- 
cured employment  as  a  bartender  and  in 
1891  he  opened  a  saloon  south  of  his  pres- 
ent place  of  business.  In  1892  he  estab- 
lished a  branch  store  in  Moweacpia  and  in 
1893  a  third  at  l^dinburg.  The  same  }'ear 
he  opened  his  ])resent  place  of  business, 
which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  retails 
wines,  liquors  and  cigars  and  conducts  his 
establishment  upon  straightforward  business 


M2 


TAST   WD  T'l^KSFA'T 


iiic'tli(i(ls  .'ind  1ia^  a  well  ccjuipitcd  salnnii.  In 
yovenibcr.  n>()i.  in  C(inii)any  willi  a  laiL-c 
minil:cr  of  business  men  ol  .\vsunii)tii  ni,  lie 
litst  liea\il\'  tlirouii'h  tire,  bul  lie  snon  '"e- 
huill  his  store,  erectinsi'  a  tine  brick  block 
north  of  the  Illinois  Slate  Inuik. 

Ah".  Moi'an  is  a  lo\er  of  good  horses  and 
now  owns  three  reg;istered  roadsters,  inclnd- 
ini;-  i.aura  Anderson.  He  has  also  specu- 
lated to  some  extent  in  real  estate  and  owns 
a  half  block  of  lots  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  town.  to,^ether  with  two  i^v)o(l  farms,  for 
one  of  which  he  ])ai(l  se\ent\'  dollars  jier 
acre  and  for  the  other  one  hnndred  dollars 
per  acre.  One  is  located  in  bdat  Ih'anch 
township,  Shell)y  county,  and  the  other  in 
Assumption  township.  Christian  county. 
Mr.  Moran  has  now  practically  retired  from 
business,  leaving"  the  control  of  his  saloon 
to  eniployes.  He  is  e\"er  ready  to  hel])  in 
the  w"ork  of  improvement  for  the  benefit  of 
the  city  and  he  gives  his  political  sujjport  to 
the  Democratic  party,  while  religiouslv  he 
is  connected  A\'ith  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
church.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  atfable  man- 
ner,  genial  and  courteous  to  all. 


FRFd)  WHEFJ.KR. 

Fred  A\dieeler  was  born  in  Waterloo,  New- 
York,  on  the  26th  of  August,  1845.  When 
he  was  a  year  old  his  parents  removed  to 
Beverly,  Washington  county,  Ohio,  \\here 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  At  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  began  learning  photography  and 
after  two  years  of  thorough  and  jiractical 
preparation  he  began  business  for  himself. 
pening  a  studio  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  Fn  mi 
that  time  forward  he  has  (le\"oted  his  at- 
tention entirely  to  the  art.  I'rom  Zanesxille 
he  rem()\"ed  to  T'arkersburg.  West  \^irginia, 
and  the  year  'i^yj  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
TaylorNille,  Illinois,  where  he  opened  a  stu- 
dio and  has  conducted  a  good  business  since 


Mis  studio  is  sup])lied  with  all  modern 
e(|ui])ments  'uid  accessories  necessarv  for  the 
successful  conduct  of  his  business  and  he 
keeps  thoroughh'  in  touch  with  the  most 
ad\-anced   methods   in   ])hotogra])h\ . 

On  the  28th  of  March,  icS.Sj,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Wheeler  and  Miss  Alice 
Simpson,  a  daughter  of  J,  L.  and  Isabel 
Simpsiju,  of  Taylor\ille.  Afr.  and  Mrs. 
W  heeler  are  well  known  in  this  city  and  the 
lios]Mtahty  of  their  home  is  greatly  enjoyed 
by  their  man}"  friends.  He  manifests  an 
actixe  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  communit}-  and  is  a  pul)lic- 
s])irite(l,  progressive  citizen,  widely  known 
in  Christian  countv. 


FRANK  L.  TAYLOR. 

One  of  the  able  representati\es  of  the 
Christian  county  bar,  now  successfully  en- 
gaged in  practice  at  Assumption,  is  a  native 
of  Illinois,  his  birth  ha\"ing  occurred  in  Blue 
Mound  township,  Macon  county,  Novem- 
l)er  to,  i860,  and  he  is  a  representative  of  an 
old  and  prominent  family  of  this  state.  His 
father,  James  Y.  Taylor,  was  born  at  Rush- 
\ille,  Schuyler  county.  Illinois,  September 
9,  1819,  wdiile  his  father  was  from 
Kentuck}".  Throughout  life  he  followed 
fanning  and  became  one  of  the  promi- 
nent early  settlers  of  Blue  Mound  tmvnship. 
Macon  coimtw  his  liome  being  on  section 
4.  On  the  i()th  of  March,  1846,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  b^li/,abeth.  AfofTett,  who  was  born 
in  Sangamon  county,  this  state.  January  29. 
iS24,  and  died  on  the  1  st  of  October.  1887. 
His  death  occurred  W;\y  5.  1804.  They 
were  (he  ])arents  of  seven  children  but  only 
three  of  tiie  number  are  now  living,  these 
being  h'rank  F..  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch;  Charles  M.;  and  Louisa,  wife  of 
John  A.  Barnes,  of  Storm  Lake,  L^wa. 
)ohn    P).   Moffett.  our  subject's   maternal 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


513 


grantlfather,  was  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  Sangamon  county,  where  he  lo- 
cated in  1S21  at  a  place  seven  miles  south- 
west of  Springfield.  He  was  horn  in  Bath 
county,  Kentucky,  and  was  married  the  year 
of  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  to  Miss  P.  C.  Mor- 
gan, a  native  of  southern  Indiana,  who  died 
in  1826,  leaving"  two  children,  Rebecca,  and 
Elizabeth,  the  mother  of  our  subject.  After 
the  death  of  his  wife  he  worked  at  his  trade 
— that  of  a  wheelwright- — for  some  time  and 
being  a  natural  mechanic  was  able  to  per- 
form almost  any  labor.  He  next  engaged 
in  cabinet-making  in  Springfield  and  after- 
ward turned  his  attention  to  contracting  and 
Iniilding,  the  county  being  indebted  to  his 
architectural  skill  for  its  courthouse.  The 
millwright's  trade  next  claimed  his  atten- 
tion and  he  erected  a  steam  saw  and  flouring 
mill  at  Rushville,  Schuyler  county,  Illinois, 
which  was  probably  the  first  of  the  kind 
built  in  the  military  district,  which  is  that 
part  of  the  state  lying  between  the  Illinois 
and  Mississippi  rivers  and  was  set  part  for 
the  benefit  of  the  soldiers  of  the  war  of  181 2. 
With  his  family  he  located  in  Rushville  the 
same  year,  having  married  in  the  meantime 
Miss  Polly  A.  Taylor,  a  daughter  of  Judge 
Taylor  of  Springfield.  In  1842  he  located 
on  a  farm  in  Blue  Mound  township,  Macon 
county,  where  he  spent  his  remaining"  days, 
dying  there  in  the  fall  of  1862.  He  erected 
the  second  schoolhouse  in  that  township. 
For  many  years  he  was  an  elder  in  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  and  did 
much  evangelistic  work  in  his  day.  Pre- 
eminently public  spirited,  he  never  withheld 
his  support  from  any  object  which  he  be- 
lieved would  advance  the  moral,  social  or 
material  welfare  of  the  community.  The 
family  to  which  he  belonged  came  originally 
from  Scotland  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  line- 


age. 


Hon.  William  G.  Moffett,  an  uncle  of  our 
subject,  served  as  supervisor  in  Macon  coun- 
ty  for  several  terms  and  was  elected  to  the 
•  state  senate  in  1870  and  1872.  He  l>ecame 
a  member  of  the  state  board  of  ecjualization 
in  1876  but  at  the  end  of  two  years  resigned 
that  position  to  again  take  his  seat  in  the 
state  senate. 

Reared  upon  a  farm.  Prank  L.  Taylor  re- 
ceived his  preliminary  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  later  attended  the  Normal 
L'niversity  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where  he 
,  was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  a  busi- 
ness course.  After  his  return  home  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  also  taught  school  for 
some  time.  In  the  fall  of  1891  he  accepted 
the  appointment  of  deputy  sheriff,  which 
position  iie  filled  for  six  years  and  was  bailiff 
in  th.e  circuit  court  for  two  years  and  a 
half.  During  these  years  Mr.  Taylor  read 
law  and  for  three  years  was  a  student  in 
the  office  of  Judge  E.  P.  Vail,  now  of  Chi- 
cago. In  May,  1902,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  after  a  rigid  examination  and  at  once 
opened  an  ofiice  in  the  Opera  House  block 
of  Decatur.  Seeing  a  favorable  opening  at 
Assumption  he  removed  tO'  this  place  in 
June,  1903,  and  now  has  his  office  over  the 
Illinois  State  Bank.  Although  his  residence 
here  has  been  of  short  duration,  he  has  se- 
cured a  good  clientage,  having  already  won 
a  reputation  for  ability  and  close  attention 
to  business,  which  will  eventually  place  him 
among-  the  leading  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian  county  bar. 

On  the  I  ith  of  September,  1884,  at  Boody, 
Illinois,  Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  ]\Iary  A.  Herbert,  a  daughter  of 
\Villiam  and  Mahala  (Smith)  Herbert.  Her 
father  was  an  extensive  grain  dealer  of  Ma- 
con county  and  of  that  county  her  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  pioneer.  She  was  born 
in  Pleasant  View  township,  Macon  county, 


514 


'Asr  A XI)  i'ki':sF.x'r 


Decenilicr  (j.  i(S()3,  and  is  tlic  cMcst  in  a 
family  of  six  cliildren.  Mr.  and  Mis.  Tay- 
lor hax'e  twii  children  :  luhel  M..  ai^ed  fonr- 
tcen  ;  and  (iuy  C,  a^cd  tliirlecn.  Tbc  latter 
was  born  in  the  same  hon^e  and  room,  m 
Bine  Mound  townshi]).  Macon  conniw  where 
his  father's  hirth  occurred.  The  parents 
are  both  meml)ers  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  .Mr.  T:i\lor  is  also  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .\merica, 
while  bis  political  su.])])ort  is  ,i.n\-en  the  Re- 
puljlican  ])arty.  He  is  a  member  of  both 
the  Macon  Count\-  and  Christian  Counts- 
Bar  Associations  and  be  stands  higii  in  the 
esteem  of  his  professional   l)retbren. 


ISOAr   .\I).\MS. 


More  than  a  century  ai^o  \\'ashington 
said  "Agriculture  is  the  most  useful  as  well 
as  the  most  honorable  occupation  of  man," 
and  this  truth  stands  to-day  as  it  did  then. 
Farming-  also  forms  the  basis  of  all  business 
Ijrosperity  and  the  life  of  the  farmer  is  the 
life  of  independence.  Mr.  Adams  is  to- 
day one  of  the  most  ])rominent  and  success- 
ful representatives  of  agricultural  interests 
in  Christian  count}',  ha\ing"  an  extensive 
f.'u-m  In  Prairieton  townshi]),  bis  home  be- 
ing- on  section  21.  He  has  resided  here  con- 
tinuously since  1856,  having  succeeded  to  a 
portion  n\  bis  father's  old  homestead. 

Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Montg'omerv 
county,  Kentucky,  February  jt,  ICS31,  and 
is  a  son  of  Allerton  and  Fb/.abeth  (Gorden  ) 
Adams.  Avbo  were  likewise  nati\es  of  the 
Blue  Grass  state.  The  father  was  also  an 
agriculturist  and  engaged  in  the  tilling  of 
the  soil  in  Kentucky  until  1S33,  when  be 
came  to  Illinois.  After  resicbng-  for  a  few- 
years  in  Sangamon  county  he  came  to  Chris- 
tian county  in  1836  and  took  up  his  aljode 
in  the  midst  of  a  settlement  now  known  as 
.\(lanis  Grove.     There  he  secured  a  tract  of 


land  and  impro\ed  a  large  and  \alualjle 
larm.  u])on  which  be  reared  his  familx'. 

Isoiii  Adams  was  only  h\e  }-ears  of  age 
when  bis  jjarents  ])ermanently  located  in 
Christian  countx'  and  here  he  has  since  re- 
mained. He  was  the  eldest  son  and  second 
child  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  seven  sons 
and  three  daughters,  and  with  one  exception 
all  of  these  reached  )ears  of  maturit}-. 

L'nder  the  ])arental  roof  Mr.  Adams  of 
this  re\iew-  was  reared  and  as  bis  age  and 
strength  increased  he  assisted  materially  in 
the  development  of  the  home  farm  and  at 
the  same  time  ac(|uired  bis  education  through 
attendance  on  the  ])ublic  schools.  After  ar- 
riving at  years  of  niaturity  be  sought  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  for  the  joiu'ney  of  life 
and  in  1851  was  united  in  marriage  to  Aliss 
Flizal:)eth  Jacobs.  He  took  bis  bride  to  the 
old  homestead  and  continued  to  reside  there 
for  hve  years.  In  1856  be  remo\-ed  to  the 
place  which  he  now  operates  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  and  his  financial  re- 
sources have  increased  be  has  added  to  his 
farm  from  time  to  time  until  now  within  its 
boundaries  there  are  comprised  seven  hun- 
dred and  eightv  acres  of  land.  This  is  ver}- 
arable  and  productive  and  his  efforts  have 
made  his  farni  one  of  the  best  improved  in 
the  county.  Much  of  the  land  when  it  came 
into  his  possession  was  wild,  not  a  furrow 
ha\  iiig  been  turned  or  an  imprcn-ement  upon 
it,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began 
Its  de\-elo])ment  and  as  the  years  baxe  i)assed 
he  has  transformed  the  raw  tract  into  fields 
of  great  \-alue  and  beauty. 

In  J 834  Mr.  Adams  was  called  u])on  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  Jan- 
uary of  that  year.  The}-  had  two  children, 
one  of  whom  died  m  infanc}-.  The  other 
was  Xancy  Fsabel,  the  deceased  wife  of  W'\]\- 
iam  ( lorden  of  Macon  count)-.  Illinois.  In 
1838    Mr.    Adams    was   again    married,    bis 


7^ 
> 

■z 

o 


7} 

CO 
CO 

o 


> 

D 
> 

CO 

> 
z 

D 
D 

m 

o 

m 

D 
> 
Z 
H 
CO 


flKllli]  ilillHIIKIili 


CHRISTIAN  COITXTY,  ILLINOIS. 


517 


second  nniLUi  l)eing'  with  Miss  Lyclia  Bilyeu, 
a  daughter  of  John  Bilyeu,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent pioneer  settlers  of  Christian  county. 
Mrs.  Adams  was  horn  in  Sang"amon  county, 
Illinois,  and  has  always  lived  in  this  state. 
Thirteen  children  have  heen  horn  of  the 
secc^nd  marriage,  Init  the  two  eldest  are  de- 
ceased :  Allerton.  who  died  in  infanc}';  and 
Jo'siah,  who  passed  away  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years.  The  others  are  :  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  George  Creews ;  John,  a  well-to-do 
farmer  of  Christian  county;  Lucv  J.,  the 
wife  of  James  Workman  ;  Sal  lie  Ann,  the 
wife  of  Alexander  Mathews,  also  of  this 
county;  Virenda,  the  wife  of  Jacob  Bilyeu; 
Wilber,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Macon 
county ;  James,  also  a  farmer  of  this  county ; 
Minerva,  the  wife  of  Date  Robbing,  a  farmer 
of  Christian  county;  Thomas  L,  an  agri- 
culturist  of  this  county;  Malinda,  the  wife 
of  Isom  Bilyeu,  als(^  a  farmer  of  rhis  coun- 
ty; and  Isom,  who  is  yet  at  home. 

Mrs.  Adams  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  and  an  earnest  worker  in  its  behalf. 
Mr.  Adams  has  always  been  known  as  a  sin- 
cere and  helpful  friend  of  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation and  serxed  for  a  numl>er  of  years  as 
a  member  of  the  school  board,  during  which 
time  he  put  forth  exery  effort  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  standard  of  the  schools.  He 
has.  however,  ne\er  cared  for  political  pre- 
ferment, but  has  desired  rather  to  give  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  signal  success.  For 
a  half  century  he  resided  in  Christian  coun- 
ty, being,  therefore,  numbered  among-  its 
earlv  settlers.  He  has  witnessed  its  growth 
and  nn])ro\'ement  as  tiie  years  have  gone  by, 
feeling  a  just  ])ride  in  what  has  been  accom- 
plished here  and  as  time  has  passed  he  has 
prospered  in  his  business  undertakings,  until 
to-day  he  is  one  of  the  extensive  landowners 
and  prosperous  farmers  of  this  communit}-. 


JOHN  P.  MOORE. 

After  years  of  actixe  labor,  ])rincipally  de- 
voted to  agricultural  ])ursuits,  John  P. 
Moore  is  now  lixing  retired  in  Assumption. 
He  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is  a  .son  of  James 
and  Margaret  (Rodman)  Moore.  The  for- 
mer was  born  in  Ohio.  April  29,  1805.  ^^"^^ 
died  on  the  30th  of  September,  1872,  in 
Shelby  county,  Illinois.  The  latter  was  a 
native  of  Pennsybania  and  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  Her  birth  occurred  Februarv 
-7'  ^796,  and  her  death  July  14,  1866.  In 
their  family  were  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  but  our  subject,  who  is 
the  oldest  of  the  family,  is  the  only  son  now 
living.  Llis  brothers  were  W.  R.  and  S.  M. 
Moore,  both  of  whom  were  married  and  left 
families.  His  sisters  are  Mrs.  M.  Padget, 
who  resides  in  I'iural  township,  Shelby 
count)-,  Illinois;  Mrs.  C.  D.  Petzer,  who  is 
living  in  Assumption;  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Mar- 
row, also  of  Rural  township,  Shelby  county. 

In  his  boyhood  days  John  P.  Moore  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Marion  county.  Indiana,  being  then  but 
three  years  old.  The  family  home  was  es- 
tablished in  the  midst  of  a  forest  in  a  countrx- 
that  xxas  upon  the  frontier  and  as  he  grexv  to 
manhood  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and 
])rixati()ns  of  pioneer  life.  In  i8()4  he  came 
to  Christian  county.  Illinois,  settling  four 
miles  northwest  of  Assumption,  in  Assump- 
tion toxvnship.  He  i)urchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  railroad  land  on  section 
28  and  at  once  began  its  cultivation.  He 
tiled  and  improxed  it,  adding  many  modern 
equi])ments  and  to-day  it  is  one  of  the  choice 
farms  of  the  county.  Mr.  Moore  continued 
to  engage  in  general  agricultural  pursuits 
until  i8qi,  when  he  put  aside  business  cares 
and  is  noxx'  lixing  retired  in  Assumption,  en- 
joying a  Competence  xvhich  he  earned  in  for- 


518 


PAST  AND   PRESENT 


mer  years.  His  farm  is  now  operated  by  a 
tenant. 

On  tlie  4tli  of  May,  1848,  Mr.  Moore  was 
united  in  niarriag-e  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Brau- 
hard.  who  was  born  near  Cincinnati.  Ohio, 
December  28,  1827,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  eight  chikh"en  :  James  M.,  Ijorn 
April  20.  i84().  is  mentioned  below.  Mar- 
garet H.,  born  January  25.  1855.  is  th.e  wife 
of  B.  J_.  Jolnison,  of  Owaneco.  Sarah  E., 
born  July  20.  1857,  i;;  the  wife  of  Leo  John- 
son, of  Assumption  township.  Caanthus  H., 
born  l'\d)rnary  2(),  ]8()0,  is  a  merchant  of 
Pana;  Albert  J>.,  born  June  16,  1862,  is  also 
represented  in  this  volume;  Oliver  M.,  born 
June  16,  1865,  is  engaged  in  the  livery  busi- 
ness in  Assumption;  and  Erank  E.,  born 
l^ebruary  13,  1868,  is  a  traveling  salesman 
living  in  Pana. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  earnest  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  First  P'"esbyterian 
church  of  Assumption,  in  \vhich  he  is  serv- 
ing as  deacon,  and  they  are  held  in  high  re- 
gard by  all  who  know  them.  Mr.  Moore 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  James  K. 
Polk  and  since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  has  been  one  of  its  stanch 
supporters,  taking  a  decji  interest  in  pul)lic 
affairs. 


ALBERT  L.  MOORE. 

Albert  L.  Moore,  who  for  a  number  of 
years  was  actively  engaged  in  farming  in 
Christian  county  and  is  now  a  hardware 
merchant  of  Assumption,  was  born  in  Mar- 
ion county,  Indiana,  near  the  city  of  Indian- 
apolis, June  16,  1862,  a  son  of  John  P.  and 
Mary  J.  (Brauhard)  Moore.  He  w^as  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  of  Assumption 
township  and  the  Indiana  State  Normal 
School  at  Valparaiso,  in  wdiich  he  completed 
a  commercial  course.  He  afterward  re- 
turned to  the  home  farm,  wdiere  he  engaged 


in  the  work  of  the  fields  until  the  time  of'his 
first  marriage.  He  then  operated  a  rented 
farm  for  three  years  and  later  he  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  29, 
Assumption  township  situated  nortliwest  of 
the  town  of  Assum])tion.  The  place  was 
onl}'  ]jartially  im])roved  and  he  erected  a 
substantial  farm  residence,  other  good  build- 
ings, tiled  the  band  and  carried  on  the  w^ork 
of  improvement  until  he  wrought  a  great 
change  in  the  appearance  of  the  place.  He 
lived  upon  that  farm  for  eight  years  and 
then  removed  to  Assumption,  wdiere  in  con- 
nection with  his  younger  brother,  Oliver  M. 
Moore,  he  opened  a  shoe  store,  which  he 
conducted  for  four  years.  He  then  returned 
tO'  his  farm  and  while  li\ing  there  his  first 
wife  died. 

In  1889  Mr.  Moore  had  wedded  Miss 
Rena  B.  Coonrod.  and  unto  them  were  born 
two  children,  Lillie  and  Lena,  the  former 
now^  living  wdth  her  maternal  grandparents. 
Mrs.  Moore  died  October  10,  1900,  and  on 
the  29th  of  Octol)er,  1902,  Mr.  Moore  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  wdth 
Miss  Louise  Milligan,  the  only  child  of 
Jesse  G.  and  Rebecca  A.  (Long)  Milligan. 
The  latter  now  resides  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Moore.  Mr.  Milligan  is  deceased.  He 
was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  serving  for 
three  years  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred 
and  b'ifteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  His  death 
resulted  from  a  sunstroke  in  June,  1868. 
His  ])arents  were  ^^'illiam  and  Eliza  (Pol- 
lock) Alilligan,  and  the  former,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  died  November  7,  1850,  and 
the  latter  in  1865.  Samuel  Milligan,  now 
deceased,  an  uncle  of  INIrs.  Moore,  was  one 
(~;f  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Taylor- 
ville.  He  platted  five  acres  of  ground  known 
as  Milligan's  addition  to  Taylorville  and 
erected  thereon  a  number  of  desirable  resi- 
dences.    Mrs.   Moore  was  educated  in  the 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


519 


public  schools  and  in  the  Pana  high  school, 
also  spent  one  term  in  study  in  the  Cook 
County  Normal.  She  devoted  fourteen 
vears  of  her  life  to  teaching,  one  year  being 
spent  in  Texas  and  the  remainder  in  Chris- 
tian county,  doing  excellent  work  in  behalf 
of  the  schools. 

In  the  spring  of  1900  Mr.  Moore  sold  all 
of  his  stock  upon  his  farm  and  came  to  As- 
sumption, where  he  purchased  the  hardware 
stock  of  T.  W.  McFarland,  and  has  since 
been  numbered  among  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  this  place,  conducting  a  business 
which  brings  to  him  a  good  financial  return 
anually.  He  owns  one  of  the  modern  homes 
in  the  west  part  of  the  town  and  is  a  most 
progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen.  He 
is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  and  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Py- 
thias fraternity,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Fraternal  Army  and  in 
these  lodges,  as  in  all  other  relations  of  life, 
he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  being  a  man  of 
genuine  worth,  of  genial  disposition  and 
cordial  manner,  so  that  he  has  become  popu- 
lar with  his  fellow  men. 


JAMES  M.  MOORE. 
James  M.  Moore,  an  enterprising  farmer 
of  Assumption  township,  living  on  section 
30,  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Marion  county,  that  state,  near 
where  the  city  now  stands.  His  natal  day 
was  April  20,  1849,  ^^^^^  ^^^  is  the  eldest  son 
of  John  P.  and  Mary  J.  (Brauhard)  Moore. 
He  was  quite  young  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  and  he  pursued  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Christian 
county,  while  later  he  attended  the  univer- 
sitv  at.  Lincoln,  Illinois.  For  almost  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  he  was  identified  with  edu- 
cational work,  teaching  in  the  district  schools 
of    Christian    and    of    Shelby    counties    for 


twenty-three  years.     For  nine  years  of  this 
time  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  home  district 
and  he  gave  general  satisfaction  l)ecause  of 
his  ability  to  maintain   discipline  and  also 
to   impart   with   accuracy   and   clearness   to 
others  the  knowledge  which  he  had  acquired. 
He  has  devoted  hi*s  attention  exclusivel}''  to 
farming  in  recent  years  and  formerly  gave 
the  months  of   summer  to  that   work.      He 
now   owns  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section 
29,  Assumption  township,  just  opposite  his 
own   farm,  his  residence  being  situated  on 
section  30,  Assumption  township,  wdiere  he 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good 
land.     His  farm  is  well  tilled  and  improved 
with  modern  equipments  and  is  a  very  rich 
and  productive  tract.     Mr.  Moore  did  all  of 
the  ditching  himself.     He  had  ears  of  corn 
in    1903    which   measured    fourteen   inches. 
His  grain  crop  annually  yields  about  forty- 
five  or  fifty  bushels  per  acre  and  in  1903  the 
vield  was  from  sixty  to  seventy  bushels  to 
the  acre.    Mr.  Moore  has  seen  great  changes 
in  the  methods  of  farming.     Fie  has  culti- 
vated   corn    with    a   single   shovel  plow,   to 
which  was  hitched  one  horse.     In  his  toy- 
hood  days  he  cut  grain  with  a  cradle,  but  as 
the  vears  have  advanced  he  has  been  able 
to  secure  the  latest  improved  machinery  and 
his  work  has  therefore  been  carried  on  along- 
progressive    lines    that    have   produced    ex- 
cellent   results.      His    first    home    was    de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1893,  l)ut  after  two  years 
he  erected   a   modern   and   substantial   resi- 
dence  and   has    recently  also   built   a   good 
barn  u])on  his  farm.     He  is  engaged  in  the 
raisins:  of  graded  stock,  both  horses  and  cat- 
tie,  and  he  also  feeds  some  stock. 

On  the  20tli  of  September,  1877,  Mr. 
Moore  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Clawson.  who  was  born  in  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1858, 
and   is   a   daughter   of   Josiah   and   Lucinda 


520 


I 'AST  AND  PRESENT 


(Ketchem)  C'lawsdii.  1  ler  nintlicr  is  now 
deceased.  l)ul  her  father  is  h\-in,i^-  in  Ived- 
lands.  Cahtornia.  where  he  went  ahont  1897, 
for  the  l)enetit  of  liis  lieahh.  Me  is  an  in- 
\ahd.  now  seventy-fonr  years  of  aj^e.  and 
at  this  writins^-  Mrs.  Ah)ore  is  in  C'alit'ornia 
carins:  for  liini.  L'nto  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Moore 
lia\e  l)een  l)orn  eigiit  rhil(h"en.  h\e  ot  whom 
are  vet  hvinj;',  namely:  Maza.  who  is  the 
wife  of  K.  1^.  lUii^g".  a  resident  of  Assump- 
tion township;  Cirace,  at  home:  .\rthnr.  who 
is  a  student  in  Milhkin  Tniversity.  at  De- 
catur, Ilhnois.  ha\-ing  previously  graduated 
from  the  district  school  near  his  home:  and 
James  and  Ada,  wlio  are  under  the  i)areutal 
roof.  Three  of  the  children  of  the  family 
died  in  infancy. 

Air.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  members  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  of  .Assumption 
and  in  his  political  x'iews  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
l)ublican,  believing  tirmly  in  the  principles 
of  the  party.  Since  1893  he  has  ser\ed  as  a 
school  director  in  his  district  and  the  cause 
of  education  ever  iinds  in  him  a  warm  friend, 
his  efforts  haxing  been  effective,  far-reach- 
hm  and  benehcial  in  liehalf  of  the  school 
.system  of  this  count}'  and  in  ])laces  where 
he  has  labored  as  a  teacher.  Mis  life  has 
l)een  honorable  and  well  spent  and  those 
who  know  him  res])ect  him  for  his  sterling 
traits  of  "character.  Tie  is  a  man  who  keeps 
thoroughly  informed  upon  all  public  (jues- 
tions  of  the  day  .and  current  events.  He 
reads  broadly  and  thinks  deeply  and  is  a  man 
free  m  his  judgments  and  unbiased  in  his 
decisions  and  yet  when  he  believes  a  course 
to  be  right  he  never  falters  in  his  adherence 
to  it. 


KE\'.  CALEB  PRICE  BALDWIN.. 
Only  those  li\es  are  worthy  of  record  that 
ha\e    been    ])otential    factors    in    the    public 
progress,  in  promoting  the  general  welfare 


or  acKancing  the  educationrd  or  moral  inter- 
ests of  the  commuiiit}-.  .\s  a  Methodist 
l^])isco])al  minister  Kev.  C.  W  Baldwin 
labored  untiringly  for  the  betterment  of  his 
fellow-men  and  in  his  life  span  of  o\er  se\-- 
ent\'-eight  years  he  accomplished  much, 
leax'ine' behind  him  in  honorable  recor<l  well 
worth}'  of  ])er])etuation. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  born  on  the  9th  of  Octo- 
ber, ]8i8,  in  hdizaliethtown.  New  Jersey, 
and  was  the  fifth  child  of  Smith  and  Mary 
Parcels  (Stiles)  Baldwin.  His  father,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  company  called  Jersey 
Blues  during  the  war  of  i8tj.  died  of  yel- 
low fever  at  Elizabethtown,  August  J7, 
^S<2T,,  at  the  age  of  tliirty-five  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1833  '^'^  Avidow  and  children  ac- 
couipanied  her  son-in-law,  W^illiam  ]\I. 
Pruclen,  on  his  removal  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  Airs.  Baldwin  died  on  the  i6th  of 
A])ril,  1848.  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
\\as  passed  in  New  Jersey,  being  a  resident 
of  Elizabethtown  teu  years  and  of  Alorses 
Mills  fixe  years.  He  went  with  the  family 
to  Cincinnati  in  the  spring  of  1833.  and 
earlv  in  the  following  fall  eutered  upon  an 
a])iirenticesliip  to  the  wagon-maker's  trade 
with  John  R.  Alonroe,  who  was  a  devout 
Afethodist.  He  remained  with  that  gentle- 
man two  vears  and  a  half  and  on  tlie  iith 
of  August.  1834.  was  happil}'  converted  to 
Cod  at  a  camp  meeting  northwest  of  Cin- 
cinnati. He  united  with  the  old  h^ourth 
Street  Methodist  church  of  that  city,  .\ugust 
12,  T834.  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  M. 
Trimble,  D.  D..  and  Rev.  Thompson.  D.  D., 
who  some  years  later  was  elected  bisho|)  of 
the  Alethodist  Episcopal  church.  In  August, 
1836,  Mr.  Baldwin  removed  to  Alton,  Illi- 
nois, by  way  of  the  Ohio  riA'er,  and  again 
entered  the  employ  of  John  R.  Alonroe  at 
C])per  .\lton  as  a  wagon-maker.     The  fol- 


REV.   CALEB   P.   BALDWIN 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS. 


523 


luwmg"  spring  he  purchased  the  business  of 
his  employer  and  continued  the  same  at 
Middle  and  Lpper  Alton  until  the  spring  of 
1844,  when  he  removed  to  Godfrey,  Madi- 
son county,  Illinois,  following  the  same  oc- 
cupation at  that  place  until  1849. 

On  the  4th  of  March.  1841,  Mr.  Baldwin 
\\as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Mc- 
Lean Pinckard,  of  Middle  Alton.  ])y  Rev. 
William  K.  Deneeu.  She  was  the  eldest 
daughter  of  William  (i.  and  Elizabeth 
(W'arner)  Pinckard,  who  moved  from  Lon- 
don. Ohio,  arriving"  at  L'pper  Alton  Novem- 
ber JO,  18  T 8.  She  was  educated  at  Monti- 
cello  Seminary  at  Godfrey  and  was  a  very 
accomplished  and  devout  Christian  lad}'. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  licensed  to  exhort  by 
Rev.  Nicholas  S.  Bastion,  preacher  in 
charge  at  Alton,  and  to  preach  by  the  Alton 
cjuarterly  conference.  Rev.  Peter  Cart- 
wright,  presiding  elder,  July  15.  1843.  He 
was  ordained  deacon  September  17.  1848. 
at  Belleville,  Illinois,  bv  Re\'.  Thomas  A. 
Morris  and  was  received  on  probation  in 
September,  1849.  ''""t*^  the  Illinois  annual 
conference  with  the  following  class:  Revs. 
William  Barton.  J.  H.  Dolson.  I.  Gro\'es. 
T.  C.  Long,  Joseph  E.  Cobby,  B.  Parish, 
J.  H.  H.  Young,  Henry  Roth.  J.  W.  Cald- 
well, J.  S.  Estep,  Charles  E.  Jay,  Jacob  Mil- 
ler, AVilliam  Niedameyer,  J.  A.  Robinson, 
W.  S.  Prentice,  Pious  McNeel,  J.  P.  Dim- 
mitt,  Jacob  Eeisel,  A.  J.  Kalb,  C.  P.  Bald- 
win, M.  M.  Pallate,  J.  Schmidt  and  M. 
Reity. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  ordained  an  elder  at 
Griggsville,  Illinois,  Septeml)er  26,  1838,  by 
Rev.  Thomas  A.  Morris,  and  tilled  the  f(jl- 
lowing  appointments  in  this  state :  White- 
hall during  the  years  1849  ^"^^  ^850;  Wav- 
erly,  1851-1852;  Carrollton,  1853-1854; 
agent  for  the  Illinois  Conference  Female 
College  at  Jacksonville,  1855-1856;  was  ap- 


pointed to  A\'arsaw  in  1857  but  did  not  fill 
the  ap])onitment  and  remained  at  Gillespie; 
Pittsfield,  1858-1859;  Jacksonville  circuit. 
i860;  Beardstown.  1861;  cha])lain  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Eourteenth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  1862-1863;  Mechanics- 
burg,  1864-1865;  Middletown,  1866-1867; 
Pana,  1868-1869;  presiding  elder  of  the  De- 
catur district,  1870-1871  ;  presiding  elder  of 
the  Pana  district,  1872-1873;  Whitehall. 
1874-1875-1876;  supernumerary.  1877;  su- 
perannuated, 1878-1879;  Grove  City,  1880- 
1881  ;  Pana,  superannuated,  1 882- 1883- 
1884;  Millersville  and  Dalton.  1885;  Butler, 
1886-1887-1888.  during  which  period  he 
lived  in  Pana;  Pana.  superannuated,  1889 
to  1895,  inclusive;  assistant  pastor  of  the 
Eirst  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Pana, 
1896. 

In  1872  Rev.  Baldwin  was  elected  a  dele- 
gate to  the  general  conference  of  the  ]\Ieth- 
odist  Episcopal  church  at  Brooklyn,  New 
York  (this  l^eing  the  first  general  confer- 
ence admitting  lay  delegates)  with  the  fol- 
lowdng  class :  Revs.  Hiram  Buck.  W.  S. 
Prentice.  W.  E.  Johnson,  Preston  W^ood, 
Dr.  Peter  Akers.  C.  P.  Baldwin.  \\'illiam 
McElfresh  and  lay  delegates  William 
Thomas  and  Joseph  ( r.  English. 

Rev.  Baldwin's  first  wife  died  in  Pana. 
August  19.  1887,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years.  She  was  a  t:ue  Christian  woman,  a 
loving  wife  and  tender  mother.  In  her  fam- 
ily were  fourteen  children,  nine  sons  and 
fi\e  daughters,  of  wliom  the  following  sur- 
vi\ed  at  his  death  :  William  McLean  Bald- 
\\in,  Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth  Webb,  Mrs.  Lucy 
Ann  Peters  and  Caleb  Price  Baldwin,  Jr., 
all  residents  of  Pana;  Mrs.  Al)bie  Pruden 
Bullard,  of  Olena.  Arkansas;  and  Mrs. 
Maria  Wood  Heinlein  and  Thomas  Pinck- 
ard Baldwin,  both  of  Butler,  Missouri. 
Mrs.   W^ebl)  and   Mrs.   Peters  arc  now   de- 


524 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


ceased.  Of  Rev.  Baldwin's  forty-one  grand- 
children twenty-six  are  li\ing  and  of  the 
great-grandchildren  fonr  snr\i\ed  him.  On 
the  2gth  of  May.  1890.  he  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  nnion  heing  with  Mrs. 
1*>.  W.  W'escott.  of  Bntler,  Illinois,  who  snr- 
\-ives  him.  Xo  children  were  horn  of  that 
union. 

Eor  over  half  a  century  Rev.  Baldwin 
labored  earnestly  in  the  Master's  vineyard 
and  when  the  summons  came  he  was  ready 
to  respond.  He  died  at  Pana  on  the  14th 
of  .\pril,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years,  six  months  and  five  days.  His  funeral 
services  were  held  at  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  that  city,  Friday  after- 
noon, .Vpril  16,  under  the  auspices  of  Pope 
Post,  No.  411,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  a 
charter  member.  The  members  of  Colonel 
P.  G.  Galvin  Camp,  No.  20,  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans, and  the  ^^V)man's  Relief  Corps,  No. 
190.  were  also  in  attendance.  Rev.  A.  P. 
Stover,  chaplain  of  the  Illinois  department 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  con- 
ducted the  services,  assisted  by  Rev.  M.  W. 
Everhart,  of  Carlinville,  and  Rev.  C.  Nash, 
of  Jerseyville,  Illinois.  The  other  ministers 
present  were  Revs.  C.  P.  Hard,  of  Rose- 
mond;  J.  Jay  Dugan,  of  Hillslx)ro;  J.  W. 
Waltz,  of  Latham;  W.  C.  Lacy,  of  No- 
komis;  P.  Michael,  W.  C.  North,  M.  M. 
Durard,  F.  \\\  Clark,  H.  \V.  Thiel  and 
Gerrit  Snyder,  all  of  Pana;  Jesse  Stout,  of 
Assumption ;  W.  A.  Dawson,  of  Oconee ; 
and  Presiding  Elder  E.  B.  Randall,  of  De- 
catur. Letters  were  read  from  the  officers 
of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Socity  of  the  Whitehall 
Methodist  church,  tendering  the  sympathy 
of  the  members  of  tliat  church  and  society 
to  the  family  of  the  departed,  and  also  from 
Colonel  J.  F.  King,  of  Riverton,  Illinois, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  regiment  of 
which    Rev.   Baldwin   was   chaplain    during 


the  years  1862  and  186^  of  the  Civil  war. 
Re\-.  Stoxer  s])oke  of  the  personal  friendship 
and  high  esteem  ni  wFich  Chaplain  Baldwin 
was  held  by  (General  William  T.  Sherman, 
who  ap])ointed  bin)  to  take  charge  of  the 
United  States  mail  of  his  command  while 
in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  He  also  referred 
to  a  personal  incjuiry  by  General  Sherman 
as  to  the  welfare  and  whereabouts  of  Chap- 
lain Baldwin  only  a  few  years  prior  to  the 
(ieneral's  death. 

Rev.  Baldw  in  was  a  man  among  men.  He 
was  one  of  the  best  ministers  and  citizens; 
a  man  of  inestimal)le  moral  worth ;  a  true 
patriot ;  a  high-minded  man,  whom  to  know^ 
was  to  admire  and  respect.  Such  is  Father 
Baldwin's  record  and  it  is  most  certainly  a 
remarkable  one  and  well  may  his  relatives 
and  hundreds  of  friends  feel  justly  proud 
of  it. 


W.  M.  &  C.  P.  BALDWIN. 

The  well-known  firm  of  Baldwin  &  Bald- 
win, of  Pana,  is  composed  of  tw'o  brothers, 
William  !^IcLean  and  Caleb  Price  Baldwin, 
who  as  real  estate,  insurance  and  loan 
agents  liave  an  office  at  No.  102  Locust 
street.  They  are  wide-awake,  energetic  and 
progressive  business  men  and  have  met  with 
most  excellent  success  during  their  residence 
in  Pana.  Both  gentlemen  are  natives  of 
Illinois,  William  M.  ha\ing  been  born  in 
Upper  Alton,  September  13,  1843.  'i"*-! 
Caleb  I\  in  Carrollton,  June  15,  1850.  They 
are  sons  of  Rev.  C.  P.  Baldwin,  whose 
sketch  precedes  this.  Their  maternal  great- 
grandfather was  Rev  Nathaniel  Pinckard, 
who  as  a  missionar\-  accompanied  Bishop 
Coke  to  Africa  and  was  with  him  al  the 
time  of  his  death.  Fiis  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Lucy  Greene  and  was  a  sister  of 
(leneral  Nathaniel  (ireene,  of  Revolutionary 
fame. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


525 


Their  father  being  a  Methodist  minister, 
the  brothers  lived  at  various  places  during 
their  boyhood  and  youth.  They  ^vere  prin- 
cipally educated  in  th.e  public  schools  of  this 
state,  although  William  was  for  one  year  a 
student  at  Wesleyan  L^niversity  in  Bloom- 
ington,  Illinois.  Like  many  other  young 
men  at  that  time  he  left  school  to  enter  the 
army,  enlisting  on  the  25th  of  August;,  1861, 
as  a  ])ri\ate  in  Company  K,  Second  Illinois 
Ca\'a]r\',  witli  which  he  served  for  three 
vears,  rendering  his  country  valiant  and 
faithful  ser^'ice  although  he  had  not  yet  at- 
tained his  majority  when  discharged,  Aug- 
ust 31,  1864,  as  sergeant.  From  1866  until 
1889  ^^^  resided  at  Gillespie,  Illinois,  being 
engaged  in  farming  most  of  the  time.  In 
the  spring  of  the  latter  year  he  came  to 
Pana,  where  he  opened  an  insurance  office 
nine  years  ago  in  partnership  with  William 
AI.  Warren.  This  connection  w^as  dissolved 
five  years  later  and  the  firm  of  Baldwin  & 
Baldwin  was  formed.  After  entering  upon 
his  business  career,  C.  P.  Baldwin,  Jr.,  fol- 
lowed mercantile  pursuits  for  a  few^  years, 
and  subsequently  was  in  the  employ  of  rail- 
road companies  for  twelve  years,  being  trav- 
eling freight  agent  the  last  five  years.  He 
lias  made  his  home  in  Pana  since  1892.  The 
firm  represents  the  Equitable  Life  Assur- 
ance Society  of  New  York,  also  fire,  tor- 
nado, plate  glass,  burglary,  fidelity,  employ- 
ers' and  public  liability,  accident,  health,  dis- 
ability and  steam  boiler  insurance  com- 
panies, and  makes  a  specialty  of  buying, 
selling  and  exchanging  farm  lands  and  city 
real  estate. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1868,  at  Gil- 
lespie, Illinois,  William  M.  Baldwin  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Jane 
Chandler,  who  died  m  Pana,  Eebruary  27, 
1 90 1.  Of  the  nine  children  born  of  that 
union,  five  are  still  living,   namely :    Mary 


E.,  Emma  Ann,  Mrs.  Luc}'  M.  Hitchcock, 
George  L.  and  Thomas  P.,  all  residents  of 
Pana.  IVIr.  Baldwin  was  again  married  No- 
vember 25.  1902,  at  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  his 
second  union  being  \\ith  Miss  Ella  Webb 
Mudd,  the  only  child  of  Colonel  John  J. 
Mudd,  of  the  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  who 
was  killed  in  battle  May  3,  1864. 

For  eighteen  years  William  M.  Baldwin 
has  been  a  member  of  the  (irand  Army  of 
the  Republic  and  is  past  commander  of  Pope 
Post,  No.  411,  Department  of  Illinois.  He 
has  also  been  adjutant  of  the  same  post  for 
more  than  ten  years  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  frcim 
boyhood.  Politically  both  be  and  his 
brother  are  identified  with  the  Republican 
party.  Public-spirited  and  enterprising, 
they  take  an  active  interest  in  the  upbuilding 
and  ad\-ancement  of  their  adopted  city  and 
county  and  they  stand  high  in  both  business 
and  social  circles. 


C.  S.  BURDICK. 

C.  S.  Burdick  is  identified  with  the  farm- 
ing interests  of  Christian  county  and  is  one 
of  the  native  sons  of  this  locality,  his  birth 
having  occurred  within  the  liorders  of  the 
county  in  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  C.  D.  and 
Isabella  (Shaw)  Burdick,  who  were  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  Ireland,  respectively,  and 
were  married  on  the  i6th  of  b^ebruary,  1865. 
To  them  were  born  five  children,  one  of 
whom  (lied  in  infancy  and  Alary,  the  oldest, 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years.  It  was 
in  1838  that  C.  D.  Burdick  emigrated  w^est- 
ward  and  settled  in  Christian  county,  Illi- 
nois. In  this  state  he  engaged  m  teaching- 
school  until  thirty-fi\'e  years  of  age  and  then 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He  as- 
sisted in  the  pioneer  development  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state  and  is  numbered  among 


526 


PAST  .\XD  PRESENT 


ihe  iKMiored  carlv  residents  wlio  l.iid  l)r<)ad 
and  dee])  tlic  foundation  for  tlic  ])rcsent  ])ros- 
perity  and  ])rogTess  of  the  county.  I'^or 
several  terms  lie  served  as  sn])er\isor  of  his 
townshi]),  was  also  school  treasurer  for  a 
number  of  \-cars.  and  he  nc\er  failed  in  the 
performance  of  anv  public  dut\'  that  tended 
to  enhance  the  welfare  of  his  district.  He 
died  in  the  ye.ar  i88o,  Ahile  his  wife  passed 
away  in    1875. 

C.  S.  Burdick  was  only  eleven  years  of 
age  when  left  an  or])han.  During  his  boy- 
hood he  attended  the  public  schools  and 
when  not  eneao'cd  in  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room  his  attention  was  largely  gi\-en  to  the 
work  of  the  home  farm.  He  assisted  in  the 
labors  of  field  and  meadow  until  twenty-one 
vears  of  age.  when  he  began  farnnng  on  his 
own  account  ujjon  the  eighty  acres  of  land 
that  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  This  farm 
has  been  his  home  continually  since  and  its 
well  improved  conditit^n  is  due  to  his  dili- 
o-ence  and  laudable  ambition. 

In  1894  Mr.  Burdick  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Maggie  J.  (iray,  who  was 
born  in  Madison  county.  Illinois,  and  moved 
to  Christian  C(nr.ity  with  her  ])arents. 
l^'or  some  ^■ears  her  father.  R.  A.  Gray, 
was  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Mos- 
f|uito  township,  this  county,  but  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  and  makes  his  home  in  Blue 
Mound.  Macon  ccjunty.  l^nto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burdick  have  been  born  four  children,  name- 
ly :  Edna,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five 
months;  Iva  G.,  now  six  years  of  age; 
Charles  R.,  four  years  old;  and  Mary  E.. 
who  died  of  scarlet  fever  January  20.  1904. 
at  the  age  of  seven  months  and  ten  days. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burdick  hold  membershi]) 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  chiu'ch.  are  deep- 
ly interested  in  its  success  and  take  an  acti\e 
])art  in  its  upbuilding.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 


measures  of  the  Republican  i)artv  and  while 
he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  (|uestions 
and  issues  of  the  da}'  he  has  never  Ijeen  a 
])olitician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He 
has.  ho\\e\'er.  serx'cd  as  school  director  in 
Ins  district  and  fraternalK'  he  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


WADE    E    JOHNSON. 

A\'ade  V.  Johnson,  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensi'/e  landowners  of  Christian  count}',  was 
horn  in  St.  Clairsx'ille.  Belmont  county. 
Ohio,  on  the  13th  of  September.  1828.  his 
])arents  being  Benjamin  J.  and  Elizabeth 
(Eoote)  Johnson.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Eondon.  England,  born  June  8.  1799.  and 
the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  County  Cork. 
Ireland,  in  t8o2.  The  father  emigrated  to 
America  in  1823  and  in  early  life  he  learned 
the  cabinet-maker's  i^rade,  which  he  followed 
in  Baltimore.  Maryland,  for  a  few  years. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Ohio,  first  locat- 
ing in  St.  Clairsvdle,  Belmont  county, 
whence  he  afterward  went  to  Guernsey 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  again  worked  at 
cabinet-making-  for  sex-eral  years.  AXdiile  in 
Belmont  county,  he  was  married,  in  1826. 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Eoote.  who  had  come  to 
America  in  the  same  year  in  which  her  hus- 
band had  crossed  the  Atlantic.  In  1849  they 
removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Greene  coun- 
ty. Avhere  Mr.  Johnson  and  his  sons  entered 
into  a  jiartnership  with  a  Mr.  Harding  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  for 
ten  years.  In  i860  Mr.  Johnson  came  to 
Christian  count}'  and  made  a  permanent  lo- 
cation upon  the  homestead  farm,  on  which 
his  son  Wade  is  now  lixing.  There  he  s])ent 
his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurriui^-  in 
Januar}'.  1876.  when  he  Avas  seventy-sexen 
years  of  age.  His  wife  sur\i\'ed  him  for 
man}'  years  and  died  March  12.  189 1.  at  the 


^^LLTAM    L-     ^'.ARTHA.  AND  WaC  E   F.  JOHNSON 


MRS.,  i.. 


^■£Tin  r'CCTE  ICHNSC'Ji 


CHRTSTTAX  COUXT^\   ILLINOIS. 


531 


age  of  ninety  }'ears.  By  this  marriage  there 
were  hum  se\en  sons  and  two  daughters, 
ah  of  whom  reached  }'ears  of  maturity.  Tlie 
eldest,  Rol)ert  G..  was  born  in  Behuont 
county.  Ohio,  March  lo.  1827.  and  (hed  in 
1900.  Wade  F.  is  the  second  of  the  family. 
Margaret  died  in  1878.  Edward,  who  was 
a  member  of  the  tirm  of  Johnson  Brothers, 
married  and  died  in  1882.  Martha  is  now 
acting  as  housekeeper  for  her  brother  Wade. 
Walter  was  married  and  died  in  i8go.  Will- 
iam L.  is  li\-ing-  on  the  old  homestead.  Ben- 
jamin is  married  and  is  a  well-to-do  farmer 
of  Owaneco.     Leo  completes  the  family. 

The  firm  of  Johnson  1  brothers  originalh- 
comprised  the  father  and  seven  sons  and  the 
daughters  were  also  financially  interested  in 
business.  They  bought  a  farm  and  raised 
stock,  carrying"  on  an  extensi\e  Inisiness  for 
a  number  of  years.  As  the  sons  married, 
howe\-er,  the}'  withdrew  their  interests  from 
the  firm  and  the  present  ])artners  are  Wade 
F.,  Martha  and  William  L.  Johnson.  Two 
of  the  brothers  of  tlie  family,  Edward  and 
William,  enlisted  for  ser\ice  during  the 
Civil  war  as  members  of  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  in 
1862,  and  served  until  the  close  (^f  the  war. 
They  were  with  Sherman  in  some  of  his 
campaigns  and  took  part  in  the  oj^erations 
around  Atlanta  and  the  march  from  that  city 
to  the  sea.  Another  brother,  Benjamin,  en- 
listed May  14,  1864,  for  one  hundred  days' 
service,  becoming  a  member  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  was  with  the  army  for  fi\e 
months.  Wade  ¥.  lohnson  furnished  a  sub- 
stitute w  hen  drafted. 

In  the  public  schools  of  (luernsey  county, 
Ohio,  A\"ade  F.  Johnson  ac(|uired  his  earl}' 
education.  The  school  building  was  erected 
of  brick  and  was  fur:iished  in  the  primitive 
manner  of  the  times,  ha\ing  a  large  fireplace 


at  one  end  of  the  room.  School  was  con- 
ducted on  a  subscription  i)lan.  each  ])upil 
hax'ing  to  ])ay  one  dollar  and  a  half  per  quar- 
ter. In  the  same  school  Nathan  Bentz, 
afterward  senator  from  A^irginia,  was  also  a 
student.  On  putting  aside  his  text-books 
Mr.  Johnson  .started  out  for  himself  and 
journeyed  by  stage  across  Ohio  and  In- 
diana, making"  his  way  to  Greene  county. 
Illinois,  where  he  became  superintendent  of 
a  farm  of  two  thousand  acres.  He  arrixed 
in  June,  184c),  after  eight  days  spent  upon 
the  road.  The  trip  at  the  ]M'esent  time  would 
be  accomplished  in  aliout  that  number  of 
hours.  In  1858  Wade  F.  Johnson,  came  to 
Christian  count}',  where  he  hired  five  ox- 
teams  and  broke  the  first  half  section  of  land 
in  the  old  homestead.  From  Assumption 
he  hauled  the  lumber  across  all  the  sloughs 
in  order  to  build  a  home.  During  the  season 
it  rained  almost  continuall}'  and,  in  fact, 
was  the  rainiest  period  ever  known  in  the 
history  of  this  state,  .\fter  placing  three 
hundred  acres  of  his  land  under  cultivation 
he  rented  his  farm  and  returned  to  Greene 
county.  In  i860,  however,  he  made  a  per- 
manent location  on  section  21,  /assumption 
townshi]),  taking  uj)  his  abode  at  his  present 
home.  The  first  part  of  the  bin'lding  was 
erected  in  1855.  the  north  part  in  1866  and 
the  east  section  in  1877.  Mr.  Johnson  joined 
his  father  and  brothers  in  the  formation  of 
the  firm  before  they  made  the  i)urchase  and 
he  has  since  continued  as  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  the  county.  As- 
sociated with,  his  younger  brother,  he  is  now^ 
engaged  in  the  raising"  of  stock,  handling 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty-fi\e  head  of 
full-blooded  stock  annuall}'.  The  corn  cro]) 
A'ields  froni  forty  to  sixt}'  bushels  of  corn 
and  in  1900  thirt}'  thousand  bushels  of  corn 
were  sold  from  the  farm.  In  1902  two 
thousand   biishels  of  corn    from  a  tract  of 


532 


PAST  AM)  iM<i':si':N'r 


se\  ciity-livc  acres  were  suld.     Oats  average 
al)(int  thirt}'  1)iishe]s  to  llie  acre,      The  old 
lidinestead    farm,    comprising    six    Imndred 
acres,  has  l)een  placed  under  culti\-ation  en- 
tirel)'  hy  Wade  F.  Johnson  and  other  mem- 
hers  of  the   family.      Every   tree   upon   the 
place  has  lieen  planted  hy  them   and  there 
are  now    numerous  fine  specimens  of  maple 
and  other  forest  trees.     There  is  (jue  maple 
nine  and  a  half  feet  in  circumference,  a\  hich 
was  planted  after  the  war.  and  a  cottonwood 
measuring  twehe  and  a  half  feet  in  circum- 
ference was  planted   in    f86o.      ^^'hen   Mr. 
Johnson  arri\ed  in  this  county  he  found   it 
largely  a  tract  of  wild  prairie.     Deer  were 
still    occasionallv    seen    and    ducks,    o-eese, 
cranes,    hrants    and    prairie    chickens    were 
plentiful.     A\'hen  hut  a  small  lad  Mr.  John- 
son planted  an  acre  and  a  half  to  corn  and 
cared   for  the  crop  until   it   was  harvested. 
He    to-day    owns    ten    hundred    and    eight^■ 
acres  of  rich  land  almost  all  in  one  hody  and 
in  partnership  with  iiis  hrothers  has  several 
thousand  acres  of  land,     l^^or  five  years  he 
was  president  of  the  Assumption   Fire  In- 
surance Company  and  at  the  same  time  was 
its  treasurer  and  is  now-  the  vice  president 
of  the  Illinois  State  Bank  at  Assumption. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  been  laro-ely  instru- 
mental  in  the  building  of  roads  in  Assump- 
tion township.  He  was  the  first  commis- 
sioner of  the  township  and  was  re-elected 
for  three  terms.  1^'or  forty-t\\'o  years  he 
has  ser^•ed  as  school  trustee  and  in  the  early 
days  the  Johnson  family  erected  the  schoc^l 
ujKjn  the  home  farm  west  of  the  house,  fur- 
nishing the  money  for  this  purpose  and  giv- 
ing an  acre  of  ground.  He  served  for  ten 
consecutive  years  as  highway  commissioner, 
during  which  time  eighty  miles  of  township 
roads  were  laid  out  and  opened  on  the  sec- 
tion lines.  He  has  also  been  township  trus- 
tee  for  several  years  and   he  cast  his  first 


])residential  vote  for  b'illmore.  Most  of  the 
furnishings  in  his  house  are  the  handiwork 
of  his  father,  who  was  an  able  mechanic  in 
his  day.  He  cares  nothing  for  the  modern 
improvements  or  for  changes,  but  finds  com- 
fort in  his  home,  which  is  substantially  built 
and  sujiplied  with  furniture  of  good  work- 
manshi]).  The  old  fireplace  wdiich  was  built 
is  still  in  use. 


OSCAR  H.  PADDOCK. 

Oscar  H.  Paddock  is  one  of  the  honored 
citizens  of  Christian  county  who  has  passed 
the  seventy-third  milestone  on  life's  jour- 
ney. For  many  years  he  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  commercial  inter- 
ests of  this  section  of  the  state  and  is  still 
at  the  head  of  the  O.  H.  Paddock  Lumber 
Company  w  hich  has  yards  at  various  places. 
The  firm  also  has  a  store  in  Pana,  where 
they  do  a  large  business  as  dealers  in  hard- 
ware  and  house  furni-^hing  goods.  Mr.  Pad- 
dock's career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  com- 
mand the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fel- 
low men  and  he  is  always  mentioned  among 
the  invaluable  citizens  of  Christian  county. 

A  native  of  Vermont,  he  was  born  in 
Woodstock,  Windsor  county,  June  22,  1830, 
and  is  a  son  of  Ormond  and  Harriet  Em- 
mons (Howland)  Paddock.  On  the  ma- 
ternal side  he  is  descended  from  John  How- 
land,  the  last  survivor  of  that  little  band  of 
l'il»rims  who  came  to  this  country  in  the 
Mayflower  in  1620.  The  Paddocks  were  of 
Welsh  origin.  During  the  boyhood  of  our 
subject  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
remoxal  to  Iowa  county,  Wisconsin,  locating 
near  a  new  i)lace  called  Peddlans  Creek,  now 
Linden.  .\s  his  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  he  was  reared  to  agricultural 
inu'suits  and  received  but  a  limited  education 
in  the  country  schools  near  his  home.     He 


CTIklSTlAX  COUNTY,   ILLINOIS. 


533 


was  the  only  son  in  a   faniil}'  of  four  chil- 
dren and  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  oper- 
ation of  the  farm  until  seventeen  years  of 
aae.  when  he  went  to  Mineral  Point,  Wis- 
cousin,  and  attended  school  for  six  months. 
In  the  spring-  of  1847  ^f'"-   Paddock  he- 
gan  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  store 
at  Mineral  Point  and  subsequently  became 
part  owner.     After  several  years  had  passed 
this  partnership  was  dissoh'ed  and  he  went 
to  old  Fort  Hamilton,  becoming  bookkeeper 
and  buyer  for  a  grain  dealer  whose  mill  was 
at  Argyle,  about  three  miles  from  Fort  Ham- 
ilton.    About  this  time  the  Illinois  Centra! 
Railroad  was  built  through  Jo  Daviess  coun- 
ty,   Illinois,   and   he   removed     to     Warren, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  grain  business 
with  \\".  K.  Underbill  for  two  years  or  more. 
Mr.  Paddock  was  next  in  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois   Central   Railroad  as  local  agent  at 
Nora  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil    war. 
ruid  in  1863  came  to  Pana  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity, holding-  the  position  of  agent  at  this 
place  until  1876.     At  that  time  he  embarked 
in  the  hardware  and  agricultural  implement 
business  on  Locust  street  and  five  years  later 
in  partnership  with  his  eldest  son  embarked 
in  the  lumber  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  O.  H.  Paddock  &  Son,  but  in  1890  when 
the  business  was  incorporated  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  O.  H.  Paddock  Lumber  Com- 
]>any.     The  firm  has  met  with  most  excel- 
lent success  and  now  own  lumber  yards  at 
various  places  and  are  extensive  dealers  in 
hardware  and  house  furnishing-  goods,  the 
latter  business  being  under  the  management 
of  Charles  O.  Paddock,  a  well  known  citizen 
of   Pana.      Besides  their  business   property 
they  have  between  five  and  six  hundred  acres 
of    farming    land    in    Pike   county,    Illinois. 
Our  subject  is  now  ])resident  of  the  Pana 
Building    Association,    an    enterprise   which 
has  proven  of  marked  value  in  the  imjirove- 


ment  and  development  of  the  city.  In  busi- 
ness affairs,  he  is  prompt,  energetic  and  no- 
tably reliable  and  gfenerally  carries  forward 
to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes. 

On  the  22nd  of  December,  1852,  Mr.  Pad- 
dock w-as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ann 
Threadgold,  who  w^as  a  native  of  Sheffield, 
England,  and  on  her  emigration  to  the 
United  States  became  a  resident  of  Wis- 
consin. By  this  union  thirteen  children  were 
born,  as  follows:  Fred  O.,  now  an  exten- 
sive grain  dealer  of  Toledo,  Ohio;  Harriet 
E..  w^ife  of  Charles  W.  Tomlinson.  the  di- 
vision general  freight  agent  for  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  Railroad  Company  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio;  Frank,  who  d'ed  at  the  age  of 
tw^enty-eight  years ;  Mary,  a  resident  of 
Pana;  Porter,  who  is  connected  with  the  law 
hrm  of  The  Paddock,  Johnson  &  Company 
at  Toledo,  Ohio;  John  H.,  who  is  in  the 
wholesale  grocery  business  at  Toledo,  Ohio, 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Paddock,  Over- 
myer  &  Company ;  Charles  Oscar,  who  is 
in  the  hardware  business  at  Pana ;  Clara 
Augusta,  wafe  of  Rev.  Gerrett  Snyder,  pas- 
tor of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Pittsburg, 
Kansas;  Joseph  W.,  who  is  in  tiie  lumber 
business  at  Pana  and  is  represented  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume;  Cornelia  A.,  wife 
of  Freeman  Butts,  assistant  postmaster  at 
Pana ;  Robert  Terry,  wdio  is  manager  of  the 
business  of  the  O.  H.  Paddock  Lumber  Com- 
panv  at  Nokomis;  one  daughter  who  died 
in  infancy;  and  Alma  R..  who  died  at  the 
aoe  of  three  vears.  The  mother  of  these 
cliildren,  who  was  a  faithful  member  (jf  the 
Presbvterian  church  and  a  most  estimal)le 
lady,  died  on  the  i()lli  of  November,  1895. 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Linwood  cemetery. 

Mr.  Paddock's  paternal  grandfather, 
Apollos  Paddock,  vras  enrolled  as  one  of 
the  minute  men  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years 


534 


I'AST    AXl)    I'Kl'.Sl'.XT 


and  served  thn nii^lioiU  tlic  war  tor  indc- 
])en(lence.  while  his  1)r()thcr  Gaines  was 
eisj-hteen  vears  of  a^'e  when  he  entered  the 
serviee.  With  the  hlood  of  Revohitionary 
lieroes  How  in,^-  in  his  \eins  onr  snl)iect  could 
not  remain  inactive  when  the  I'nion  was 
threatened  a.nd  althonj^h  he  was  unahle  to 
enter  the  arni\-,  havin.i;-  lost  the  sigh.t  of  one 
e\"e,  he  assisted  in  ori^anizini^"  companies  and 
did  all  in  his  power  to  insmx  the  successful 
termination  of  the  war.  llis  political  sup- 
port is  i^ixen  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Repuhlican  i)arty  and  he  has  1jeen  promi- 
nentlv  identihed  with  municipal  affairs,  serv- 
ing- as  councilman,  school  director  and  police 
mae-istrate.  He  is. still  filling-  the  last  named 
office  in  a  most  creditahle  and  satisfactory 
manner,  his  decisions  lieing-  unliiased  l)y 
either  fear  or  favor,  [during-  his  long  resi- 
dence in  I*ana  he  has  championed  every 
movement  designed  to  ])roiiiote  the  general 
welfare,  has  supported  e\ery  enterprise  for 
the  puhhc  good,  and  has  materially  aided 
in  the  advancement  of  all  social,  educational 
and  moral  interests.  He  is  now  living  in 
practical  retirement,  lia\ing-  by  a  useful  and 
well  spent  life  gained  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence as  well  as  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
all  \\ho  know  him. 


CHARLES   (i.    LOVERING. 

Charles  (i.  Loxeriiig  makes  his  home  on 
section  32,  Assumption  townshi]).  He  is 
not,  however,  actively  engaged  in  farming, 
but  practicallv  lives  retired.  He  devoted 
manv  years  to  educational  \\(irk  and  his 
efforts  in  iK^half  of  the  schools  have  been  of 
marked  benefit.  He  is  a  nati\e  of  Xew 
Hampshire,  his  birth  haxing  occurred  on 
the  8th  of  ]^larch.  1827.  He  has.  therefore, 
l)assed  the  seventy-fifth  mile-stone  on  life's 
ioin-nev  and  now  he  can  lo<)k  back  o\er  the 


past  without  regret  because  his  has  been  an 
honorable  and  straightforward  career.  He 
is  a  grandson  of  'riieophilus  Lo\eriug.  whn 
was  a  Rex'olutionary  soldier,  serxing 
through(.ut  the  war,  his  \alor  and  mer- 
itorious conduct  in  the  held  of  battle  win- 
ning him  olhcial  rank.  After  that  war  he 
became  a  colonel  in  t!ie  state  militia,  acting 
in  that  capacity  during  the  old  training  days. 
The  parents  of  our  sui)ject  were  Cilman  and 
Sarah  (Stephens)  Lowering,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Xew  Hampshire,  and  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  th.at  state.  In  their  fam- 
ily wevG  six  children,  all  of  whom  reached 
years  of  maturitv.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  drum  major  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Charles  Lo\ering  obtained  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  village  schools  and  later  at- 
tended the  academies  at  Kingston  and  at 
X^)rthfield,  New  Hampshire,  in  wh.ich  insti- 
tutions he  i)repared  for  advanced  study.  He 
then  matriculated  in  Dartmouth  College,  in 
which  he  spent  two  years.  His  collegiate 
course,  howe\  er,  was  interrupted  by  a  seyere 
attack  of  brain  fe\er.  which  forced  him  to 
leave  school  and  return  to  his  home.  After 
his  recovery  Mr.  ^Lovering  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Xew  Hampshire  and  in 
Massachusetts  ])rior  to  his  remo\-al  to  the 
west.  On  coming  to  Illinois  he  first  estab- 
lished his  home  in  Greene  county  and  he 
also  continued  teacliing  m  Pike  and  Scott 
counties.  In  i860  he  can-ie  to  Christian 
count^'  and  secured  .1  ])ositi(^n  as  teacher  in 
a  district  school,  while  later  he  was  cnn- 
nected  with  the  town  schools  of  this  count}'. 
In  October.  1864,  ^\r.  Lovering  offered 
his  aid  to  his  country,  enlisting  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Comi)an\-  ]>,  1X\entieth  Illinois  \'ol- 
iHiteer  Infantry.  He  was  on  detached  serv- 
ice, but  took  part  in  the  battle  n\  X'ashville. 
Tennessee,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Louisville,  Kentuckx,  on  the  lOth  of  Tune. 


CHARLES  G.   LOVERING 


MRS.   C.   G.    LOVERING 


CHRISTIAN  COL'X'IA',    II,LI\OIS. 


530 


18O5.  At  the  close  (if  the  war  he  returned 
to  Christian  count}',  Illinois,  \\iiere  he  en- 
gaged in  general  fanning  and  also  taught 
school  in  .\ssumption  for  two  winters.  He 
then  settled  upon  th^  farm  where  he  now 
resides,  but  has  ne\er  been  very  acti\el}'  en- 
gaged in  farm  work. 

On  the  30th  of  SeiJtem!)er.  1858,  in  the 
city  of  Decatur,  Illinois,  Mr.  Lovering  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Aliss  Rachel  Sleeper, 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  (^n  the 
21st  of  Februar}-.  1829.  Her  parents  were 
James  and  Susan  (Cox)  Sleeper,  the  former 
a  native  of  the  old  Granite  state  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Vermont.  Mrs.  Lovering  pursued 
her  education  in  Ham])ton  Academy  and 
was  also  a  school  Leacber,  following  that 
profession  before  she  attained  the  age  oi 
eigbteen  years.  He  taught  l)()th  in  the  east 
and  in  Illinois.  Unto  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Lover- 
ing ba\e  l)een.  born  four  cbikb"en :  Carrie, 
now  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Leavitt,  of  Man- 
chester, New  Hampshire,  by  whom  she  bas 
two  sons,  diaries  and  Arthur;  Klla  S.,  who 
died  in  1903:  George  O..  who  married  Mary 
Coonrod  and  died  lea\'in.g  two  children, 
Glenn  and  Clara;  and  Harriet,  who  has  Ijeen 
a  successful  school  teacher  of  Assumption 
township.  She  was  educated  at  the  State 
Normal  L^niversity  and  is  a  graduate  of  the 
class  of  i8c;9.  Sbe  then  began  teaching 
school  and  has  since  followed  that  ])rofes- 
sion. 

]\Ir.  Lovering  bas  seen  great  changes  in 
Christian  county  during  bis  long  residence, 
in  this  state.  When  be  came  to  tbe  west 
wild  game  of  various  kinds  was  plentiful. 
Tbere  were  many  deer  together  witb  ducks, 
cranes,  geese  and  brants.  Prairie  wolves 
were  also  numerous  and  there  were  many 
indications  that  this  portion  of  the  country 
was  yet  a  frontier  region.  The  first  bouse  in 
wbicb  ]\[r.   Lo\-ering  lived  was  a  story  and 


a  half  frame  structure,  hut  it  was  destroyed 
1)}'  a  cyclone  about  1867  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  Mr.  Lovering,  his  wife  and 
their  two  children  were  in  bed  in  the  west 
part  of  the  bouse.  1  he  wind  came  from  the 
west  and  carried  off  the  roof  of  tbe  bouse, 
depositing  it  in  tbe  garden.  None  (jf  tbe 
family  were  hurt,  although  they  were  greatly 
frightened  and  it  was  an  exent  in  their  lixes 
that  will  never  be  forgotten.  There  were 
many  strange  and  almost  incredible  inci- 
dents which  happened  in  connection  witb 
that  storm.  A  woman  \\as  seen  standing 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  the 
Lovering  home  with  a  light  in  her  hand. 
Tbe  cyclone  also  struck  ber  bouse  and  much 
of  it  was  blown  away,  but  left  her  standing 
in  the  position  in  whicb  she  was  first  seen, 
the  floor  remaining.  Immediately  Mr.  Lov- 
ering rebuilt  his  house,  erecting-  a  one-stor\- 
bome.  About  1888  be  built  his  ])resent  com- 
fortable residence  A\bich  is  situated  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  west  of  tbe  main  road  and  in 
the  midst  of  a  fertile  tract  of  land  of  forty 
acres  in  section  32,  Assumption  township. 
Here  be  bas  resided  continuously  since  tbe 
Cix'il  war.  He  is  one  of  the  Ijest  informed 
men  of  the  county.  Both  be  and  bis  wife 
were  popular  and  successful  sc1k)o1  teachers 
and  have  always  kept  up  their  reading,  thus 
being  in  touch  witi-.  the  progress  of  tbe 
world  in  its  advanced  thought,  action  and 
iiu'ention. 


WILLIAM  DE  WOLF. 

One  of  the  most  progressive  and  ener- 
getic agriculturists  of  Assumption  townshi]) 
is  William  De  Wolf,  whose  home  is  on  sec- 
tion iT).  He  was  born  in  Delaware  county. 
Ohio,  lulv  12.  1845.  '^"^^  ^s  '^  -^''^^  "^"  Cbaun- 
cy  and  Elizabetb  (Rboades)  De  \\V)lf,  na- 
tives  of   Connecticut   and   A^irginia.    resi)ec- 


27 


540 


PAST  AM)   I'UICSENT 


ti\(.'l\'.  Extended  nicntidii  is  made  n\  the 
faniiK-  in  tbe  skeleli  of  Joseph  De  Wolt  on 
another  pai^e  of  this  vohime.  Onr  suljjert 
was  echieated  in  the  jjuhlic  schools  ot  his 
r,ati\e  eonnt\-  an<l  was  reared  on  a  farm. 
Ill  iSji  he  aeeomi)anied  liis  i)arents  on  tlieir 
reino\al  to  Christi;m  county,  llhnois.  and 
ill  connection  with  his  father  he  ent^ai^ed  in 
farming"  on  rented  hiiid  for  a  few  years. 

Having- accumuhited  some  cai)ital  Mr.  De 
Wolf  purchased  liis  ])resent  farm  in  Assump- 
tion township   in    ]H-/6.      it   then   consisted 
of  one   hundred   and   I  went  \    acres   of   only 
])artially    improved    laud    with    a    small    old 
hou.se  upon  it.     He  has  drained  the  land  and 
placed    it    under   excellent    cultivation;    has 
set  out  an  orchard ;  erected  a  nice  cozy  farm 
residence  in   1883:  and  also  built  good  and 
substantial  outbuilding's.      He  and  his  wife 
have  worked  hard  to  ac(|uire  a  competence 
and  as  success  has  attended  their  well  di- 
rected efforts  he  has  been   able  to  add   an- 
other eighty-acre  tract  to  his  farm,  so  that 
he  now  has  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land,  well  tiled,  fenced  and  thoroughlv 
im])roved.      Besides    this    ])roperty    he    also 
owns  one  hundred  and  se\enty  acres  of  good 
land  in  Texas,  which  l)rought  him  a  nice  in- 
come last  year.     Since   1888  Afr.  De  Wolf 
has   p-iven   considerable   attention    to   stock, 
purchasing  at  that  time  an  imi)orted  stallion 
which  he  kept   for  several  years.     He  raises 
Shire  horses  and  a  good  grade  of  shorthorn 
cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs,  his  i)lace  af- 
fording  excellent   pasturage    lor   his    stock. 
His  corn   cro])   yields   on   an   axerage    tort\- 
bushels  to  the  acre  but  he  has  raised  as  high 
as   eighty   bushels    to    the   acre    from    forty 
acres  of  land  and  in  1903  his  crop  averaged 
fifty  bushels  to  the  acre. 

In  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  March  31, 
i87r),  y\v.  De  W'olf  wedded  Miss  Mar>  C. 
Cochran,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Cochran,  who      ests  of  Christian  county  and  now  owns  and 


was  from  Tennessee.  I  ler  mother  who  bore 
die  maiden  name  of  .Vancy  llenry,  died 
when  .Mrs.  De  \\()]\  was  (|uite  small.  The 
children  born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife 
are  as  follows:  Pertha,  a  jxipular  school 
teacher  of  Stoiiington  townshi]),  this  coun- 
[\  :  Charles,  who  is  married  and  resides  in 
Chicago,  where  he  is  serxing  as  bookkeeper, 
though  he  formerly  engaged  in  school  teach- 
ing ;  Lucy  and  John  C,  wdio  ha\e  also  taught 
school  but  are  now  attending  the  State  Nor- 
mal at  Charleston:  Donald  J.,  a  student  at 
the  same  institution  :  ;md  William  and  Stella, 
who  are  pursuing  their  studies  in  the  dis- 
trict school.  The  children  have  been  given 
good  educational  adxantages  and  the  three 
at  normal  will  graduate  with  the  class  of 
1904.  All  were  born  on  the  home  farm  in 
Assumption  townshi^i:). 

The  family  attend  the  Christian  church, 
of  which  Mrs.  De  Wolf  is  a  member  and 
an  active  worker  and  the  children  also  be- 
long to  the  church.  In  politics  Mr.  De  \\o\\ 
is  a  Democrat  and  is  one  of  the  standard 
hearers  of  his  party  in  his  community.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  i)ublic  affairs  and 
has  served  as  township  trustee  seven  years 
and  school  director  about  nine  years.  Pub- 
lic-spirited and  progressive,  he  never  with- 
holds his  support  from  any  object  which 
lie  believes  will  ])romote  the  welfare  of  his 
township  or  county  along  any  line.  For 
twentv-seven  consecutive  years  he  has  lived 
u])iin  his  jiresent  ])lace  and  has  not  only  wit- 
nessed the  many  changes  that  have  taken 
l)lace  in  that  time  but  has  aided  materially 
111  its  adxancement  and  upbuilding. 


JOHN  SIMPSON. 

l*"or  thirty-seven  years  John  Simpson  has 
been   identified  w'th   the  agricultural  inter- 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLmOTS. 


541 


operates  a  nice  farm  on  section  9,  Rosaniontl 
townshi]).  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Harrison  county,  that 
state,  January  13.  1836.  and  he  is  a  son  of 
Mathew  and  Susan  (Orr)  Simpson  and  a 
grandson  of  John  and  Margaret  Simpson. 
The  grandfather,  wlio  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, had  seven  chikh'en,  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  all  of  whom  married  and 
reared  families  of  their  own.  Mathew  Simp- 
son, our  subject's  father,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  there 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  1838, 
when  he  removed  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
that  being  his  home  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  followed  general 
farming  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  i860. 
Of  the  seven  children  born  to  them,  five 
reached  maturity,  these  being  John,  Mar- 
garet Jane,  Mary,  Isabel  and  Thomas,  but 
our  subject  is  now  the  only  survivor.  All 
were  married  and  had  families.  Thomas 
was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  horse. 

John  Simpson  was  only  two  years  old 
when  brought  Ijy  his  parents  to  Illinois  and 
he  was  reared  and  educated  in  Pike  county, 
this  state,  wdien  that  region  was  largely  wild 
and  unimproved.  During  his  boyhood  he 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and 
later  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  but  has 
made  farming  his  chief  occupation.  It  v\'as 
in  1866  that  he  removed  from  Pike  to  Chris- 
tian county  and  became  the  owner  of  his 
present  farm  in  Rosamond  township.  He 
had  previously  operated  rented  land.  As 
the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  prospered  in 
his  work  and  besides  his  farm  he  now  owns 
town  property  in  Ijotli  Rosemond  and  Ston- 
ington. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1859,  in  Pike 
county,  Mr.  Simpson  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pence,  who  was  born  in 


I'reble  county,  Ohio,  July  2O,  1830,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  and  Julia  (Berousman)  Pence. 
In  early  life  she  removed  wdth  her  parents 
to  Pittsfield,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where 
she  made  her  home  until  her  marriage.  After 
many  years  of  haj)py  married  life  she  passed 
away  on  the  26th  of  October,  1901,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years  and  three  months. 
In  1857  she  united  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  was  a  consistent  member 
of  that  denomination  up  to  the  time  of  her 
death.  She  was  a  loving  wife  and  tender 
mother  and  was  beloved  by  all  \\ho  knew  her. 
^V  kind  and  helpful  neighbor,  she  was  always 
ready  to  help  in  time  of  sickness  and  trou- 
ble. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pence  were  born  the 
follow'ing  children:  A.  P.,  the  eldest,  mar- 
ried Rose  Cochran,  who  died  leaving  two 
sons.  George  and  Thomas,  and  he  subse- 
quently wedded  Mrs.  Lydia  (Parkinson) 
Barrett,  by  whom  he  has  one  daughter,  Mil- 
dred May.  The  second  child  of  our  subject 
died  in  infancy.  Wilda  May,  the  youngest, 
is  the  wife  of  Reuben  Solliday,  of  Stoning- 
ton,  and  they  have  four  children  :  Deborah, 
Horace,  Reuben  and  Monroe  Dale. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Simp- 
son a  stalwart  supporter  of  its  principles  and 
for  four  years  he  filled  the  office  of  tax  col- 
lector in  his  township.  As  a  public  spirited 
citizen  he  gives  his  support  to  every  meas- 
ure which  he  believes  will  ]:)romote  the  gen- 
eral welfare  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  his  community. 


LLOYD  BROTHERS. 

Among  the  progressive  and  enterprising 
business  men  of  Morrisonville  should  be 
numliered  C.  B.  and  ].  F.  LloA'd.  who  con- 
stitute the  firm  of  Lloyd  Brothers,  now  so 
successfully  engaged  in  the  livery  business 
at  that  place.     Both  were  born  on  a  farm 


542 


I -AST   AXl)    I'Kl'ASI'.X'l 


in  Ali)r;;;ni  C(iunt\.  tins  state.  'I  nuir  latlicr 
was  jaincs  IJovd.  wlm  came  to  Clirislian 
CDunty  at  an  earl\'  dax'  ami  tliroui'-liout  the 
remainder  t)\  his  life  was  snecesstnlly  en- 
o-^oed  in  larmini;'  almnt  three  miles  from 
M<irris()n\  ille.  lie  died  at  the  a^e  of  se\'- 
enlv-one  \ears,  hon(a"ed  and  resi)ected  by  all 
w  h(  I  knew   him. 

C.  P>.  and  J.  I'\  Llo\-d  s])ent  iheir  early 
lite  n])on  the  home  farm,  which  the\'  now 
own.  and  for  the  past  fotir  years  the\-  ha\"e 
gi\'en  considera.hle  attention  to  the  liiiviiig 
and  selling"  of  horses  and  cattle,  which  hnsi- 
ness  the}'  ha\e  foirid  (|tnte  remimeratix'e. 
In  .\i)ril.  igo^.  the\'  also  emliarked  in  tlie 
ii\erv  business  at  AIorrison\ille.  purchasing" 
a  barn  which  the}'  a''e  at  jjresent  enlarging 
.'uid  which  when  completed  will  be  the  larg- 
est ]i\er\'  stable  in  the  connt\',  the  main 
bnilding"  being  ninet\'-fonr  Ijv  one  htmdred 
teet  and  the  rear  addition  l^ft^'  by  sixty 
feet.  They  kee])  about  fifteen  good  horses 
and  all  the  necessary  Iniggies,  carriages,  etc.. 
needed  in  their  l)usiness.  Thev  also  run  a 
feed  sta1)le  in  comiection  wUh  their  li\ery 
and  lia\e  a  sale  dei)artment  as  the\  still  en- 
gage in  bu}ing  and  shipping  both  horses  and 
cattle.  They  are  wide-awake,  energetic  l)usi- 
ness  men  and  are  meeting  with  marked  suc- 
cess in  these  undertakings. 

C.  B.  Lloyd  married  Miss  bjueline  Hill 
and  to  them  has  been  born  a  daughter,  Elsie. 
Both  brothers  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  the  Knights  of  Pvthias 
Lodge  of  Arorrisomille.  and  ha\e  the  re- 
spect and  contidence  of  all  \\ith  whom  they 
come  in  contact  either  in  business  or  social 
life. 


\v.\RRb:x  coKzixb:. 

Success  comes  not  to  the  man   who   idl\- 
waits  but  to  the  faithful  toiler  whose  work.- 
is    characterized    by    intelligence   and    force 


and  has  the  foresight  and  sagacil\  to  know- 
when,  where  and  how  to  exert  his  energies. 
Thus  it  hai)i)ens  that  only  a  small  portion  of 
those  who  enter  the  world's  liroad  lield  of 
battle  come  off  victors  in  the  struggle  for 
wealth  and  ])osition.  Some  lack  persever- 
ance, others  business  sa.gacitx'  and  still  others 
are  dilator\-  and  negligent,  but  the  record 
of  Mr.  Corzine  ])ro\es  that  he  possesses  all 
the  reciuisite  (fualities  necessarv  to  cc:)pe  with 
the  complex  conditions  of  the  business 
world.  He  has  been  identified  with  a  num- 
ber of  ])rominent  enterprises  in  Christian 
county  and  has  so  directed  his  labors  that 
he  is  now-  accounted  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  respected  citizens  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Corzine  is  a  native  of  Guernsey  coun- 
U\  Ohio.  lx)rn  Janua.r}'  24.  1857.  Llis  par- 
ents, Allen  and  ]\lary  Ann  (Warren)  Cor- 
zine, liad  a  family  of  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  he  is  the  sixth  in  order 
of  birth.  His  great-grandfather,  lohn  Cor- 
zine. was  a  natixe  of  Holland  and  was  a 
young"  man  on  his  emigration  to  the  L'nited 
States.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  war  of 
18 1 2  and  was  killed  in  that  struggle.  At 
one  time  he  owned  sixt}'  acres  of  land  along' 
Wall  street.  X>w'  "S'ork  city.  Our  subject's 
grandfather,  John  Corzine.  Jr.,  died  in  1870 
while  visiting"  his  son  in  this  county.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
\ania  in  1816  and  ni  earl}'  life  went  to 
(iuernse\'  count}'.  Ohio,  \vhere  he  purchased 
a  tract  of  wild  land,  ddiere  he  was  married 
to  Miss  ?ylar\'  Ann  Warren,  who  was  born 
in  that  countx"  in  1819,  of  (ierman  ances- 
tr\-,  and  they  continued  to  make  their  home 
there  until  1808.  Avhich  \ear  witnessed  their 
arri\al  in  Christian  count}'.  Illinois.  Allen 
Corzine  i)urcliase(l  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  acres  of  land  in  .\ssumption  township 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  ])ursuits  for  a 
number  of  \'ears,  after  which  he  took  ui)  his 


WARREN   CORZINE 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


547 


abode  in  Assnni])ti()!T.  where  lie  lived  retired 
until  his  death  in  August,  ujoi.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican.  Init  never  cared  for 
office,  and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Pres- 
byterian, his  wife  l)eing  a  member  of  the 
same.  She  passed  away  in  April,  kjot. 
They  were  held  in  liigh  regard  by  all  wdio 
knew  them  and  had  a  host  of  warm  friends 
throughout  the  county. 

Through  the  period  of  his  lioyhood  and 
}-outh  W'arren  Corzine  worked  on  his  fath- 
er's farm  in  the  summer  season  and  during 
the  winter  months  attended  school.     He  was 
thus    trained    to    habits    of    industry    and 
thi"oughout    his    entire    career    his    life    has 
been  characterized  by  energy  and  persistency 
of  purpose.     For  a  short  time  after  leaving 
home  he  rented  a  farm  and  later  he  became 
the  owner  of  a  tract  of  land  near  Douglas, 
in   Otoe  county,    Nel)raska.   u]j<)n   which   he 
lived    for   one   year.      He   then    returned    to 
Christian  county  and  was  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until   1888.  when  he  sold 
his  property  in  Nebraska,  in  order  to  con- 
centrate hfs  interests  here,  and  removed  to 
Stonino-ton.  where  for  manv  vears  he  was 
actively   C(^nnected    with    commercial    inter- 
ests.    For  a  long  period  he  was  connected 
with  the  lumber  and  coal  trade,  and  in  fact 
became   the   leading   representati\e    of   that 
line  of  trade  in  the  town,  his  sales  reaching 
a  large  annual  figure.      He  was  prominent 
in  securing  the  option  on  the  coal  right  for 
the    Christian    County    Coal    Company    on 
twelve  hundred  acres  of  land.     Air.  Corzine 
also  became  half  owner  of  a  general  mer- 
cantile store,   but  has   disjiosed   of  liotli   of 
these  interests,   sellir.g  the  lumber  and  coal 
vard  in  T903.     In  1900  he  became  president 
of  the  First   National  Bank  (^f   Stonington 
and  is  still  one  of  its  directors.     After  dis- 
posing of  his   lumber  yard  he  took  a  trip 
through  Illinois,   [ndiana,  Ohio,  New  York, 


Canada,  Missouri.  Kansas.  Indian  Territory 
and  Texas.  He  is  now  the  treasurer  of  the 
Illinois  drain  &  Oil  (."ompaii}'.  owning  fifty- 
five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  southeastern 
Kansas.  He  laid  out  the  Corzine  &  Boll 
addition  to  the  town  of  Stonington,  built 
thereon  a  nunilier  of  houses,  and  has  since 
sold  them  and  the  town  lots,  .securing  a 
p-ood  financial  return  from  his  investment. 
He  owns  one  brick  liusiness  block  there  cUid 
also  an  interest  in  three  others.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  is  not  acti\'ely  connected  with 
the  management  of  any  business  enterprise, 
giving  his  attention  merely  to  the  super- 
A'ision  of  his  investerl  interests. 

In  October.  1881,  Mr.  Corzine  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  lUirdick.  who 
was  born  in  this  county  in  July.  1863.  Her 
father.  Miner  Burdick.  was  a  native  of  Ston- 
ington. Connecticut,  and  w-as  a  member  of 
the  colony  that  founded  Stonington,  Illi- 
nois. Beino-  a  well  educated  man,  he 
eno-aoed  in  teaching  school  for  some  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  His  wdfe, 
who  l;ore  the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca 
Boyd,  was  a  natixe  of  Christian  county, 
Kentucky,  and  was  also  an  early  settler  of 
this  county.  She  died  in  1870.  and  he  de- 
parted this  life  in  1887.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Corzine  were  born  the  following  children: 
Maud  E..  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Stonmg- 
ton  high  school  of  the  class  of  1902 ;  Charles 
AY.  who  is  now  a  student  in  I'arnes  Medical 
College  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Jesse  M., 
who  is  now  in  his  second  year  in  the  Illinois 
University  at  Chami);ugn;  and  Lutie  Pearl 
and  Edith,  who  arc  students  in  the  high 
school  of  Stonington. 

Mr.  Corzine  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  while  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  stanch  Ixepublican  and  for  ten 
years  has  either  l)een  a  trustee  or  the  presi- 


548 


PAST  AND  TRESENT 


(lent  of  the  board  of  Stonington.  As  a 
school  director  he  has  done  much  to  furtlier 
the  interests  of  education  and  was  serving 
at  the  time  the  i)resent  schoolhouse  was 
built.  'Hie  welfare  of  Stonington  is  dear 
to  his  heart  and  his  efforts  in  its  behalf  lia\e 
been  helpful,  beneficial  and  far-reaching. 


DENNIS  KEATING. 

Dennis  Keating  is  one  of  the  worth)'  citi- 
/:ens  of  Christian  county  ihat  hx^land  has 
furnished  to  the  new  world  and  he  is  to-day 
successfully  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  section  17,  Assumption  township. 
He  was  torn  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  March 
10.  1850,  a  son  of  Michael  and  Johanna 
(Barry)  Keating,  who  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  County  Cork.  Of  their  eight  chil- 
dren seven  reached  man  and  womanhood  and 
four  of  the  number  are  now  living  in  Amer- 
ica, our  subject  having  two  sisters  in  Chi- 
cago and  one  in  Jacksonville,  Morgan  coun- 
ty. Illinois. 

Mr.  Keating  was  reared  and  educated  in 
his  native  land,  his  boyhood  and  youth  being- 
passed  upon  a  farm.  Emigrating  to  the 
United  States,  he  landed  in  New  York  on 
the  4th  of  April,  1868.  and  after  working 
on  a  farm  in  the  Empire  state  for  a  short 
time  he  proceeded  to  Jacksonville.  Morgan 
county,  Illinois,  in  1869.  He  was  then  en- 
s:as:ed  in  farming  between  that  citv  and  Vir- 
ginia.  Cass  county,  until  Eebruary.  1877, 
when  he  removed  to  Assumption  township, 
Christian  county,  .spending  one  year  near 
the  city  of  Assunijjtion.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  removed  to  a  farm  near  Radford. 
where  he  spent  nine  years,  and  then  located 
on  his  present  place  in  Assumption  town- 
ship. After  renting  for  fourteen  years  he 
purchased  the  farm,  which  was  only  par- 
tially broken  when  he  took  up  his  residence 


thereon  and  the  only  improvement  was  a 
small  house.  He  has  since  ditched  and  tiled 
the  land  and  converted  it  into  a  good  farm. 
il  coni])rises  two  hundred  acres  and  in  con- 
nection with  its  cultivation  he  operates  a 
rented  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
I'jghtv  acres  of  his  land  is  devested  to  pas- 
turage and  the  remainder  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. His  corn  cro])  usually  averages  forty 
bushels  to  the  acre  but  in  1903  it  amounted 
to  sixty  bushels  to  the  acre.  Most  of  that 
which  he  raises  he  feeds  to  his  stock  as  he 
is  (|uite  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  Hereford  cattle.  Shire  horses  and  Poland 
China  hogs,  having  about  eighty  head  of 
cattle  upon  his  place  and  over  one  hundred 
and  thirty  hogs.  His  wife  takes  great  de- 
light in  her  fine  poultry,  having  a  nice  col- 
lection of  Plymouth  Rocks.  Brahmas  and 
Indian  game  clvckens.  They  have  labored 
untiringly  to  secure  a  home  and  competence 
and  well  deserve  the  r.uccess  that  has  crowned 
their  combined  efforts. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1873.  in  Vir- 
ginia. Cass  county.  Illinois,  Mr.  Keating 
married  Miss  Ellen  Dougherty,  who  was 
born  in  County  Londonderry,  Ireland.  No- 
^■ember  3.  1852.  and  is  a  daughter  of  ]Mich- 
ael  and  Ellen  (McVey)  Doughert)'.  life-long 
residents  of  that  country.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Keating  have  a  family  of  nine  children, 
.all  w  ell  and  hearty,  their  names  and  dates  of 
l)irth  being  as  follows:  John,  [anuary  i, 
1875:  Mary,  Deceml)er  19,  1876:  Edward, 
January  8.  1879:  Thomas,  October  15,  1880; 
Anna.  January  22.  1883;  Nellie,  November 
4,  1884;  Dennis.  Jr..  January  4  1887;  Ther- 
esa. January  29.  1889;  and  Emma,  June  29, 
1892.  All  are  at  home  with  the  exception 
of  John,  who  is  single  and  lives  in  Sioux 
county,  lo\va :  and  Edward,  wdio  married 
Anna  Brule  and  resides  in  South  Dakota. 

The  parents   and   children   are  members 


.    CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


549 


of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  of  Assump- 
tion, which  Mr.  Keating  helped  to  organize 
and  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  trustees  for 
some  time,  and  the  family  is  one  of  promi- 
nence in  the  community  where  they  reside. 
Mr.  Keating-  has  seen  this  region  trans- 
formed from  a  wild,  unsettled  tract  into  fine 
farms  occupied  hy  a  contented  and  happy 
people.  When  he  first  located  liere  ducks 
and  other  wild  game  were  quite  plentiful  and 
furnished  many  a  meal  for  the  early  settlers. 
At  that  time  much  of  the  land  was  covered 
with  ponds  and  sloughs  and  the  farmers 
often  wxre  unable  to  raise  enough  grain 
to  feed  their  stock.  Mr.  Keating  aided  ma- 
terially in  the  making  of  the  roads  in  his 
locality,  serving  as  highway  commissioner 
in  his  township  for  six  years.  He  now  holds 
the  office  of  school  director  and  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  and  its 
principles. 


WILLIAM    WIDICK. 

Among  the  honored  citizens  of  Christian 
cOunty  whose  lives  have  been  devoted  to 
agricultural  pursuits  must  be  numbered  Will- 
iam Widick,  who  owns  and  operates  a  fine 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres 
in  Prairieton  township,  his  home  being  on 
section  2.  He  has  made  his  special  field  of 
industry  an  eminent  success  and  his  course 
in  life  has  ever  been  such  as  to  gain  for  him 
the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  those  with 
whom  he  has  been  l)rought  in  contact. 

Mr.  Widick  is  proud  to  claim  Illinois  as 
his  native  state,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Macon  county  on  the  28th  of  January, 
1848.  His  parents,  Abner  and  Eliza  Wi- 
dick, were  also  born  in  Illinois  and  came  to 
Christian  county  in  1853,  this  continuing 
to  be  their  home  throughout  the  remainder 
of  their  lives.    The  father,  who  was  a  farmer 


by  occupation  and  one  of  the  leading  men 
of  his  community,  died  in  1891,  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  in  1902. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  passed  in  much  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  boys  and  he  early  became  familiar 
with  the  labors  of  the  farm,  his  literary 
education  being  obtained  in  the  pul)lic  schools 
of  Christian  county.  After  reaching  man's 
estate  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
operating  his  father's  land  until  1872,  when 
he  was  able  to  purchase  forty  acres.  Suc- 
cess attended  his  well  directed  efforts  and  as 
time  passed  he  ke|)t  adding  to  his  property 
until  he  now  has  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  acres  of  valuable  land.  Sixty-four 
acres  of  this  is  covered  with  a  fine  growth 
of  timber,  but  the  remainder  of  the  tract 
was  prairie  land  which  he  has  placed  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  improve- 
ments, which  are  neat  and  substantial  in 
character,  have  been  placed  there  by  him- 
self and  the  farm  is  now  one  of  the  most 
desirable  of  its  size  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Widick  was  married  in  1870  to  Miss 
Minerva  W^orkman,  a  daughter  of  Barney 
Workman,  a  Avell  known  farmer  of  this 
county,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three 
children :  Abner,  now  a  bookkeeper  hold- 
ing a  position  in  Decatur;  Maggie,  wife  of 
August  Bridgeman,  a  farmer  of  Shelby 
county,  Illinois;  and  J.  W'.,  who^  resides  at 
home  and  assists  his  father  in  the  operation 
of  the  farm.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Christian  churcii  and  Mr.  Widick  is 
also  connected  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellow^.  He  has  taken  cjuite  an 
acti\'e  part  in  ])ul)lic  afifairs,  serving  as 
townshi]^  collector  for  twenty  years  and  as 
school  director  for  many  years.  His  public 
and  pri\'ate  life  are  alike  above  reproach 
and  he  well  merits  the  esteem  in  which  he 
is  uniformlv  held. 


550 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


JESSE  E.  REESE. 

Jesse  E.  Reese,  the  well  known  payini;- 
and  receix'ing"  teller  of  Sclmylcr's  Bank  of 
Panii,  was  born  on  the  nth  of  No\-enil)er, 
1853,  in  Eranklin  count)',  Oliio,  and  is  the 
vouno'est  son  of  l^honias  and  Ehnira 
(Dickey)  Reese.  His  father,  \\  ho  was  a 
miller  ])y  trade,  was  a  nati\e  of  the  same 
state,  born  in  b'airfield  county  of  Welsh  an- 
cestry, while  his  mother  was  a  natne  of 
Montgomery  county.  New  NOrk,  and  of 
Irish  descent.  In  the  fanhl}-  were  six  chil- 
dren, namely:  Leroy  1).,  a  stockman  of 
Creston,  Illinois;  Egbert  C,  the  manufac- 
turer of  Coco-Cola  at  Chicago;  Joseph  /v., 
a  resident  of  Comanche,  b)wa;  Erancis,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  t^n  years;  Seneca  C,  an 
umbrella  manufacturer  of  Knoxville,  Ten- 
nessee ;  and  Jesse  E. 

The  last  named  ac(|uired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  Central  College  Academy  of 
his  nati\e  count}'  and  after  coming  to  Illi- 
nois in  1872  completed  the  high  school  course 
at  Pana.  He  then  secured  a  teacher's  cer- 
tificate and  taught  one  term  of  school  in 
Montgomery  count}',  Illinois,  after  which 
he  entered  the  post  office  at  Pana,  his  l)rother 
b^gbert  C.  being  at  that  time  postmaster,  and 
he  served  as  assistant  for  four  vears.  Dur- 
ing the  following  three  }'ears  he  traveled 
in  the  interest  of  the  Austin  Powder  Com- 
pany, of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  i88r  he  be- 
came liookkeeper  in  Schuyler's  Bank  at  T'ana 
and  held  that  position  until  1888,  when  he 
was  appointed  paying  and  receiving  teller, 
in  which  capacity  he  is  still  serving.  Ele 
is  also  acting  as  local  agent  for  the  New 
N'ork  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company. 

At  Pana,  September  13.  1876,  Mr.  Reese 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eugenia 
Dodge,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Dodge, 
who  was  a  practicing  ])hysician  for  many 
vears  and  is  now  deceased.     ]\Irs.  Reese  was 


born  in  Eayette  county,  Illlinois,  and  by 
her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  three 
children:  Nellie  M.,  the  oldest,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Pana  high  school  and  also  of  the 
Illinois  Woman's- .College  at  Jacksonville. 
Cecilia  E.  i.s  now  attending  the  latter  in- 
stitution and  is  making  a  special  study  of 
music.  Walter  O.  is  a  member  of  the  junior 
class  in  the  Pana  high  school,  and  sbcnvs  a 
special  talent  in  art. 

As  an  enterprising,  and  progressive  citi- 
zen, Mr.  Reese  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  ])ul)lic  affairs  and  has  served  as  city  treas- 
urer and  is  now  townshi])  treasurer.  He  is 
also  treasurer  and  a  director  of  the  Pana 
Building  &  Loan  Association  and  is  a  mem- 
lier  of  the  Public  Library  board.  Eraternal- 
1}'  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  order 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .\merica  and 
is  ser\'ing  as  worshipful  master  in  the  for- 
mer organization.  He  is  quite  prominent 
in  church  circles,  being  a  Methodist  in  re- 
ligious belief,  and  is  at  present  serving  as 
secretary  of  the  official  board  and  ])resident 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  the  church.  Wdiile 
representing  the  Pana  church  at  the  confer- 
ence in  Ouincy,  he  was  elected,  ou.^  of  twen- 
tv-fi\'e  candidates,  a  delegate  to  the  general 
conference  held  at  Los  Angeles,  California, 
in  May,  1904.  He  takes  a  very  active  and 
influential  ])art  in  all  church  work  and  his 
career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  \varrant 
the  trust  and  confidence  so  freel}-  accorded 
both  in  business  and  social  life.  His  devo- 
tion to  the  public  good  is  mK|nestioned  and 
arises  froiu  a  sincere  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  his  fellow  men. 


EDWARD  OWEN  SMITH,  Sr. 

Eor  several  years  during  his  earlv  life 
this  gentleman  was  a  resident  of  Illinois,  his 
home  lieing  in  Decatur,  and  he  t(iok  an  active 


E.   0.   SMITH.   Sr. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


653 


l)art  in  the  development  of  Macon  county. 
He  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Mary- 
land three  miles  west  of  Baltimore,  April 
15,  181 7.  and  was  a  son  of  Rev.  James 
Smith,  a  distinguished  an.d  popular  Meth- 
odist minister  of  Baltimore,  who  died  in 
that  citv,  leaxing"  six  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  fourth  in  carder  of  l)irth. 
After  his  father's  death  he  made  his  home 
with  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Rachel  Owen, 
until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  engaged  in  clerking 
in  a  store  during  a  part  of  General  Jack- 
son's administration. 

Mr.  Smith  then  returned  to  his  home  near 
I'Jaltimore  but  soon  afterward  carried  out 
his  cherished  desire  to  try  his  fortune  in 
the  west.  In  the  fall  of  1834  he  went  to 
Ohio,  which  was  then  considered  one  of  the 
frontier  states.  His  capital  consisted  of  but 
nineteen  dollars  and  all  his  worldly  posses- 
sions he  carried  in  a  knapsack  on  his  shoul- 
der. Following-  the  old  National  road  across 
the  Allegheny  mountains  he  finally  reached 
Springfield,  Ohio,  a  distance  of  five  hundred 
miles  from  Baltimore,  and  there  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  with  Samuel  Price,  Imt 
becoming  afflicted  with  a  throat  disease  he 
concluded  to  go  farther  west,  and  after 
spending  a  short  time  in  Montezuma,  In- 
diana, worked  at  his  trade  in  Terre  Haute 
for  about  a  year. 

In  May,  1837,  Mr.  Smith  located  in  De- 
catur, where  he  soon  found  employment,  his 
first  work  being  the  erection  of  a  house  for 
Captain  D.  L.  Allen  on  Water  street  abo\'e 
North  street  and  another  residence  imme- 
diately south,  which  are  now  with  one  ex- 
ception the  oldest  houses  remaining  in  De- 
catur. In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  built 
the  old  Macon  Hotel  on  the  east  side  of  the 
park.  At  that  time  the  site  of  this  building- 
was  in  the  midst  of  heavv  tiniber.     The  fol- 


lowing" year  he  liuilt  the  Spangler  mill  on 
the  Sangamon  ri\er,  fovn-  miles  east  of  De- 
catur and  although  then  only  twenty  years 
of  age  he  had  already  gained  an  enviable 
reputation  as  a  good  l)nsiness  man  and  an 
enterprising  builder. 

Mr.  Smith  continued  in  acti\e  business  in 
Decatur  until  1853,  when  he  made  his  first 
trip  to  California.  He  raised  a  company  of 
thirty-nine  young  men  and  crossed  the 
plains,  being  about  one  hundred  days  upon 
the  road.  He  took  with  him  a  dro^•e  of 
cattle.  After  a  stay  of  two  years  and  three 
months  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  returned  to 
Decatur.  ha\ing  made  considerable  profit 
from  his  business  \'entures.  He  then  began 
to  im])ro\'e  property  on  W^ater  street.  The 
entire  liusiness  of  that  place  was  formerly 
conducted  around  the  old  square  and  he  was 
the  first  to  turn  the  current  toward  what  is 
now  the  princii)al  business  thoroughfare. 
He  erected  the  first  business  structures  on 
Water  street,  two  three-story  buildings,  and 
the  next  year  in  connecti(Mi  with  Dr.  J.  T.  B. 
Sta]:)p  built  several  stores  on  the  south  side 
of  the  park. 

In  1858  Mr.  Smith  started  on  his  second 
trip  to  California.  This  journey  proved  a 
dangerous  and  difhicult  undertaking.  He 
l^roposed  to  take  a  large  dro^•e  of  horses  and 
cattle,  which  he  purchased  in  southwestern 
Missouri,  through  to  California  l)y  way  of 
New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  at  that  time  a 
route  but  little  trax'eled.  With  a  company 
of  forty-one  young  men  he  explored  his  way 
through  a  complete  wilderness  from  Fort 
Gibson- to  Albucjuerque,  New  Mexico.  Twice 
in  this  distance  his  company  was  attacked 
by  the  Indians,  who  each  time  were  repulsed 
without  loss.  The  blanket  which  Mr.  Smith 
carried  was  pierced  by  an  arrow  lance.  Five 
hundred  miles  west  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
among-  the  San   Francisco  mountains,   thev 


554 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


encountered  a  party  of  returning  emigrants 
who  had  been  (h-iven  l)ack  l>y  the  Inthans. 
Eieht  of  their  number  had  been  killed  and 
all  of  their  cattle  stolen.  After  driving  off 
the  Indians,  who  were  still  in  pursuit,  it  w-as 
resolved  to  return  to  the  Rio  Grande  river, 
winter  there,  and  then  proceed.  On  their 
march  back  their  provisions  soon  gave  out 
and  for  six  weeks  their  only  food  was  boiled 
beef  without  salt.  After  going  into  winter 
quarters  Mr.  Smith  grew  restless  and  de- 
termined to  go  through  to  California  that 
winter.  He  managed  to  secure  four  men  to 
assist  him  in  driving  the  cattle.  A  Mrs. 
Brown,  of  Iowa,  whose  husband  had  been 
killed  by  the  Indians  and  who  was  anxious 
to  reach  some  relatives  in  California,  and 
her  four  small  daughters,  were  alsD  members 
of  the  party.  They  set  out  in  January,  1859, 
and  after  a  journey  of  thirteen  hundred 
miles  through  New  Mexico  and  Arizona, 
reached  San  Francisco  in  safety  without  a 
more  perilous  adventure  than  meeting  two 
hundred  Indian  warriors  at  Apache  Pass, 
who,  however,  acted  in  a  friendly  manner, 
the  chief  bestowing  on  Mr.  Smith  a  quiver 
of  lion's  skin  filled  with  arrows,  as  a  token 
of  friendship.  Mrs.  Brown,  the  heroine  of 
the  adventurous  journey,  found  her  relatives 
and  subsequently  married  Judge  Johnson,  of 
San  Francisco,  who  thanked  Air.  Smith 
with  great  cordiality  .for  bringing  him  so 
good  a  wife.  The  cattle  had  been  left  be- 
hind in  Arizona,  and  after  grazing  them  for 
a  while  in  Lower  California,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Colorado,  he  l^rought  them  to  San 
Francisco  in  March,  i860,  two  years  after 
starting  with  them  from  Missouri.  The 
calves  had  become  nearly  grown. 

In  the  fall  of  i860  he  started  from  Los 
Angeles,  California,  for  Texas,  intending  to 
make  arrangements  to  raise  horses  in  the 
latter  state.     In  passing  through  the  Apache 


countrv  his  company  was  attacked  by  thirty 
Indians,  who  killed  seven  of  their  horses. 
Mr.  Smith  had  six  companions,  one  of  wdiom 
was  too  ill  to  render  any  assistance  in  the 
fight,  While  crossing  the  Staked  Plains 
they  traxeled  eighty-six  miles  without  water. 
On  reachino"  a  frontier  town  in  Texas  the 
first  sight  that  met  his  eye  was  the  Lone  Star 
rtag  of  the  republic  of  Texas,  and  then  he, 
for  the  first  time,  learned  that  Abraham  Lin- 
coln had  been  elected  president  and  that 
Texas  had  withdrawn  from  the  Union  and 
resumed  her  original  position  as  an  inde- 
pendent republic.  He  expressed  surprise 
and  regret  but  the  Texans  assured  him  that 
"they  meant  business."  Through  Texas  to 
Galveston,  from  that  place  by  steamer  to 
New  Orleans  and  thence  u^)  the  Mississippi 
to  Cairo,  nothing  was  heard  but  exciting 
talk  regarding  the  preparation  for  rebellion. 
He  made  arrangements  with  two  men, 
whom  he  left  in  Texas,  to  raise  horses  on 
shares,  but  after  the  war  broke  out  he  enter- 
tained little  hope  of  reaping  anything  from 
his  investment.  Se^•en  years  afterward, 
however,  his  share  of  the  horses  was  de- 
livered to  him  at  Decatur. 

On  his  return,  after  an  absence  of  three 
years,  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  mayor  of  De- 
catur in  March.  1861,  and  occupied  that 
])osili()n  during  the  first  year  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, when  its  duties  were  ])articularly  im- 
portant. Regiment  after  regiment  of  sol- 
diers were  fed  at  the  city's  expense.  Per- 
sonally he  did  ex'erything  in  his  power  to  as- 
sist the  Union  cause,  assisted  in  recruiting 
soldiers,  and  for  various  objects  in  connec- 
tion with  the  war  contributed  lil)erally  (if 
his  own  means.  In  1864  he  supp()rted  Lin- 
coln for  president,  believing  that  his  re- 
election \\()uld  prove  an  effectual  blow  to  the 
rebellion,  .\fter  the  war  he  could  not  give 
his   ai)i)roval    to   the  congressional  plan   of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


555 


reconstruction  and  afterward  affiliated  with 
the    Democratic    party.     In    1847    li^    was 
elected  a   member  of  the   Illinois   constitu- 
tional   convention,    representing    Piatt    and 
Macon  counties,  and  the  following  year  he 
was  the  Whig  candidate  for  state  senator 
from  the  district  embracing  McLean,  Taze- 
well, Logan,  De  Witt  and  Macon  counties, 
being  elected  by  a  flattering  majority  after 
a  spirited  canvass.     One  of  his  first  efforts 
in'  the  senate  was  to  secure  the  passage  of  a 
joint  resolution  recjuesting  the  Illinois  sen- 
ators and  representatives  in  congress  to  se- 
cure from  the  national  government  a  dona- 
tion of  land  for  the  construction  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  and  the  AVabash  Railroads.  Aid 
was  subsequently  granted  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral.    To  Mr.   Smith  belongs  the  credit  of 
taking  the  first  steps  which  led  to  the  suc- 
cessful completion  of  this  important  project. 
W^iile  in   the   constitutional    convention   he 
was  identified  with  anotber  measure  which 
proved  of  great   benefit  to  the   state.      He 
was  one  of  the  authors  of  the  special  pro- 
vision adopted  by  a  separate  vote  levying  a 
tax  of  two  mills  to  liquidate  the  state  debt. 
From   thirty   the   state   bonds   advanced   to 
par.   confidence  in  the  state  increased,   and 
immigration    soon    afterward   poured   in   to 
occup)^  the  vacant  lands.     He  was  active  in 
securing   for   Macon   county   several   of  its 
railroads,  especially  the  Decatur  &  St.  Louis 
(now  the  St.  Louis  nranch  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific),  of  which  he  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  and  original  directors. 
His  first  wife,  whom  he  married  on  the 
i8th  of  May,  1843,  ^^^  Miss  Harriet  Krone, 
a  native  of  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania.     She  was 
a  woman  of  modest  and  retiring  demeanor, 
a  faithful  wife,  a  devoted  mother  and  pos- 
sessed of  many  excellent  traits  of  character. 
She  died  on  the  13th  of  January,  1867,  and 
April  15.   1867,  he  wedded  Mrs.  Catharine 


Hillman,  of  Peoria  county,  Illinois.  He  had 
eleven  children,  of  whom  ten  are  still  livine: 
namely :  Rachel  R  ,  widow  of  Dr.  Brown, 
of  Chicago;  James  D.,  of  Napa,  California; 
Edward  O.,  whose  sketch  follows  this; 
Lydia  A.,  wife  of  G.  B.  McKee,  of  San  Jose, 
California;  M.  Ella,  wife  of  Rev.  S.  S. 
Hebbard,  of  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin;  Mrs. 
Harriet  B.  Moore,  of  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado;  Laura,  wife  of  Mr.  Brown,  of 
Elmwood,  Illinois;  Lowell  A.,  a  resident  of 
Milan  township,  Macon  county;  Thomas  C, 
who  died  at  his  home  in  San  Jose,  Cali- 
fornia, in  1890;  and  Gertrude,  wife  of 
Elmer  Hurff,  of  San  Jose.  The  last  named 
was  a  child  by  the  second  marriage. 

In  1870  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  California, 
making  his  home  on  a  ranch  just  outside  the 
corporate  limits  of  San  Jose,  the  garden 
city  of  that  state  and  the  most  beautiful  of 
all  rural  towns.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
constitutional  convention  which  framed  the 
constitution  of  California.  During  his  early 
residence  in  Macon  county  he  had  sufiicient 
foresight  to  see  that  investment  in  real  es- 
tate would  prove  profitable  and  so  purchased 
town  lots  and  unimproved  land.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  in  his  time  he  improved  more 
land  in  Macon  and  adjoining  counties  than 
any  other  one  man  and  also  erected  a  large 
number  of  buildings  in  Decatur.  Besides  the 
structures  already  mentioned  he  built  the 
old  Smith  Opera  House  and  block  on  Water 
street  and  numerous  residences.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  public-spirited  citizens  of 
Decatur  and  as  a  business  man  his  char- 
acteristics were  great  energy,  keen  judgment 
and  readiness  to  take  advantage  of  every  op- 
portunity. He  was  benevolent  and  charita- 
ble in  disposition  and  no  man  was  more  will- 
ing to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  unfortunate 
or  lend  a  helping  hand  to  others.     He  died 


556 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


very  suddenly  of  heart  disease  at  his  home 
in  San  Jose.  Cahfornia.  March  8.  i8(;2.  hon- 
ored and  respected  hy  all  who  knew  him. 


EDWARi:)   O.    SMITH.   Jr. 

Throughout  the  greater  i)art  of  his  Imsi- 
ness  career  this  gentleman  has  l>een  identi- 
fied with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Chris- 
tian county  and  is  now  successfully  engaged 
in  farming  in  Prairicton  township,  his  home 
heing  on  section  24.  A  native  of  Illinois,  he 
w^as  horn  in  Decatur  on  the  8th  of  July. 
1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  Owen  Smith. 
Sr..  whose  sketch  precedes  this. 

During  his  hoyhood  and  youth  our  suh- 
ject  secured  a  good  education,  attending  the 
city  schools  of  both  Decatur  and  Taylorville. 
as  well  as  the  country  schools  of  Christian 
county.  Having  decided  to  make  farming 
his  life  work,  he  rented  a  farm  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years  and  successfully  operated  it 
for  one  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
took  charge  of  a  tract  in  Macon  county  gix-en 
him  hy  his  father,  and  was  engaged  in  its 
cutivation  until  1884.  when  he  purchased 
three  Inmdred  and  twenty-four  acres  of  tim- 
ber land  in  Christian  county  and  at  once 
began  its  improvement.  After  clearing 
awav  the  trees  he  l)roke  the  land  and  trans- 
forme<l  it  into  a  fine  farm.  He  added  to  his 
])roperty  until  he  now  has  five  hundred  acres 
of  well  improved  and  valuable  land,  his 
home  being  one  of  the  j^-ettiest  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  county. 

In  1881  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Julia  Rice,  a  daughter  of 
G.  E.  Rice,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Chris- 
tian county.  Eive  children  blessed  that 
union,  namely:  Harriet  Edna,  Hester,  Erank 
De  Loss,  Walter  Rice  and  Edwa^^d  Owen, 
all  at  home.  On  account  of  the  illness  of 
his  wife  Mr.  Smith  finally  left  the  farm  and 


removed  to  Mowea(|ua.  where  he  spent  three 
vears  eng'aged  in  the  implement  business. 
He  then  took  his  faniil}'  to  Colorado,  living 
at  Manitou  and  Colorado  S])rings  for  three 
years,  and  then  went  to  California,  spending 
some  time  at  Los  .\ngeles  and  Long  Beach. 
He  then  returned  to  Moweaqua.  where  six 
weeks  later  his  wife  died,  on  the  7th  of  De- 
cember, 1901.  Mr.  Smith  was  again  mar- 
ried December  i.  1903,  at  Toluca.  Illinois, 
his  second  union  being  ^\  ith  Mrs.  Sallie 
Minturn.  widow  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Minturn.  who 
was  a  resident  of  Rantoul.  Illinois.  Mr. 
vSmith  recently  returned  to  his  farm  in 
Prairieton  township  and  is  now  dexoting 
his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

The  family  hold  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tion  church  and  Mr.  Smith  is  also  identified 
with  the  Kniohts  of  Pvthias  fraternitv  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He 
filled  the  office  of  supervisor  one  term  and 
was  road  C(jmmissioner  for  some  time  but  he 
has  never  cared  for  political  honors.  ])re- 
ferrine'  to  2"ive  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  Pleasant  and  agreeable 
in  manner,  he  makes  many  friends  and  has 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know 
him. 


JAMES  H.  WILLIAMSON.  M.  D. 

Dr.  James  H.  Williamson  is  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  As- 
sumption and  has  that  love  for  and  devotion 
to  his  ])rofession  which  has  brought  to  him 
success  and  won  him  a  place  among  the 
ablest  representatives  of  the  mediral  frater- 
nity in  Christian  county.  He  was  born  in 
Ashland,  Kentucky,  March  7.  1872.  his  par- 
ents being  Rev.  James  E.  and  Samantha  O. 
(Perkin.son)  Williamson,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia.    In  their  familv  were  three  children. 


E.   0.  SMITH.  Jr. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


559 


of  wliom  the  Doctor  is  tlie  voiuii^'est.  He 
completed  his  literary  education  in  Centre 
College  at  Dan\ille.  Kentucky,  from  which 
famous  institution  man}-  noted  men  ha\e 
graduated.  After  leaving"  scIk^oI  he  hegan 
the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direction 
of  his  hrother,  Dr.  George  L.  Williamson, 
at  that  time  a  leading"  physician  and  surgeon 
of  Homer,  Illinois,  hut  now  of  Danville, 
this  state.  'Hie  brother  was  graduated  at 
the  Missouri  Medical  College  of  St.  Louis 
in  1893  ^^""^^  recently  took  a  special  course 
in  surgery  in  Europe.  He  also  received 
private  instruction  under  the  celebrated  sur- 
geon. Dr.  Lorenz,  of  (iermau)'. 

After  studying  with  his  brother  for  some 
time  Dr.  James  H.  Williamson  entered  the 
Missouri  Medical  College,  where  lie  pursued 
a  three  years'  course  and  was  graduated  in 
1898  in  a  class  of  eighty-five.  Later  he  took 
a  post-graduate  course  in  the  Chicago  Ear, 
Eye  &  Throat  College.  In  1900,  on  visiting 
his  father  who  was  then  preaching  at  As- 
sumption, he  decided  to  locate  here  and  it 
w-as  not  long  before  lie  had  built  uj)  a  good 
])ractice,   which  is  constantly  increasing. 

Dr.  Williamson  had  the  misfortune  to 
meet  with  an  accident  in  a  runaway,  badly 
injuring  his  knee,  and  shutting  u])  his  office 
he  went  to  Indiana  Springs,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  recovery.  After  an  ab- 
sence of  seventeen  weeks  he  resumed  prac- 
tice at  Assumption  and  now  dexotes  his  en- 
tire time  and  attention  to  his  professicnial 
duties.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
State  Medical  Society,  the  American  Med- 
ical Association,  the  Disfrict  Medical  So- 
ciety of  Central  Illinois,  and  the  Christian 
County  Medical  Society. 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1896,  at  Louis- 
\ille,  Kentucky,  Dr.  Williamson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Dora  Heniken,  a  na- 
tive  of   Cowling,   Wabash    county,    Illinois. 


and  to  them  ha\e  been  born  two  children: 
Holland,  born  March  i.  1900;  and  Emma, 
who  was  born  June  13,  190J,  and  was 
named  for  her  aunt. 

bVaternally  the  Doctor  is  :•  mem))er  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  is  examiner  for 
the  Fraternal  Army  of  Loyal  Americans 
and  for  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  He 
is  also  examiner  for  the  Franklin  and  Pru- 
dential Life  Insurance  Companies  and  for 
the  Bankers'  Life  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Social  and  genial  l)v  nature  he  makes  man}' 
friends  and  these  cjualities  coml)ined  with 
his  skill  as  a  physician  have  gained  for  him 
the  success  which  is  his.  He  starids  high 
in  the  esteem  of  hi^  professional  brethren 
and  has  the  confidence  .and  resi)ect  of  all 
who  know  him. 


ORSON  P.  COONROD. 

Jhroughout  life  this  gentleman  has  made 
his  home  in  Christian  county  and  is  to-day 
activelv  identified  with  her  agricultural  in- 
terests, being  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising"  on  section  18,  Prairie- 
ton  township.  He  was  born  in  this  county 
December  18,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Edmund 
i'l.  Coonrod,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Greene 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  5th  of  September, 
1832,  and  whose  father,  Stephen  Coonrod, 
was  of  German  descent.  On  the  7th  of  Feb- 
ruary. 1861,  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
united  in  nicirriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Doyle  and 
the  same  year  he  came  to  Christian  county, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  for  several 
vears  but  is  now  lixing  a  retired  life  in 
Assumption,  enjoying"  a  well  earned  rest. 

Orson  P.  Coonrod  is  indebted  to  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Christian  county  for  the  early 
educational  privileges  he  enjoyed  and  he  also 
attended  business  college  at  .\tchison.  Kan- 


560 


PAST  y\ND  PRESENT 


sas.  for  a  time.  On  attaining;"  his  majority 
lie  hej^an  farming  or  his  own  account  and 
for  three  }-ears  operatetl  the  home  farm  in 
I'rairieton  townshii).  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  removed  to  May  township  but  in 
1893  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead,  where 
he  now  resides,  though  he  still  owns  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  May  tOAvnship.  Tlie  farm  in 
i'rairieton  townshi])  consists  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  well  improved  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  in  its 
management  he  displays  excellent  business 
cil)ility  and  shows  conclusively  that  he  thor- 
oughly understands  the  vocation  which  he 
has  chosen  as  a  life  work.  He  gives  consid- 
erable attention  to  tlie  raising  of  stock,  keei)- 
ing  a  good  grade  of  farm  animals. 

In  1893  Mr.  "Coonrod  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Maud  Long,  a  daughter  of  H. 
B.  Long,  wdio  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  May  township.  Three  children  bless  this 
union,  namely:  Hollis  Long,  Helen  and 
Lenore.  By  his  ballot  Mr.  Coonrod  sup- 
ports the  men  and  measures  of  the  Demo- 
cratic parly,  and  socially  he  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. He  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  community  where  he  resides 
and  those  who  know  him  best  are  num- 
Ijered  among  his  warmest  friends. 


SAMPSON    BOTTRELL. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  and  progres- 
sive agriculturists  of  (Christian  county  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  introfluces  this  re- 
view. Prosperity  has  attended  liis  well  di- 
rected efforts  and  lie  is  to-day  a  well-to-do 
and  substantial  farmer  and  stockraiser.  Mr. 
l)Ottrell  was  born  ni  England,  April  30, 
1844,  and  was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  when, 
in   1856,  he  came  to  the  United  States  with 


his  parents,  Daniel  and  Mary  Ann  (Dunn) 
Bottrell.  Making  their  way  to  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  they  located  in  Mosquito 
township,  where  the  parents  continued  to 
make  their  home  until  called  to  their  final 
rest,  the  father  dying  in  1873  and  the  mother 
two  years  later.  Li  England  the  father  had 
practiced  veterinary  surgery  but  after  com- 
ing to  this  countrv  devoted  his  attention 
principally  to  farming. 

Sampson  Bottrell  ^^■as  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land  and  after  coming 
to  America  he  aided  his  father  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  h(Mne  farm  until  twenty-four 
}ears  of  age,  when  he  commenced  farming 
on  his  own  account.  lAmr  years  later  he 
was  able  to  purchase  fifty  acres  of  land  and 
as  time  passed  and  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  kept  adding-  to  his  property 
until  he  had  seven  handred  acres  but  he  has 
since  given  a  portion  of  this  to  his  children, 
though  he  still  retairis  five  hundred  acres. 
He  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
his  place,  which  is  to-day  one  of  the  best 
and  most  desirable  farms  in  Christian 
county.  He  has  a  very  pleasant  nine-room 
house  and  a  fine  set  of  farm  buildings,  in- 
cluding a  cow  barn  thirty-six  feet  square ; 
a  cattle  barn  for  feeding,  sixty  by  forty-four 
feet ;  two  corn  cribs,  forty-eig^ht  by  thirty- 
two  feet;  and  a  hay  shed  forty-eight  feet 
U)ng,  twenty-four  feet  w-ide,  and  twenty 
feet  high.  He  has  recently  ])ainted  the  house 
and  all  or  the  outbuildings,  making  the  place 
\ery  attractive  in  appearance.  Mr.  Bottrell 
gives  considerable  attention  to  the  raising  of 
stock,  making  a  specirdty  of  cattle  and  hogs, 
and  lie  annually  feeds  about  seventy-five 
head  of  cattle  for  market. 

On  the  5th  of  Eebruary,  1868,  Mr.  Bot- 
trell married  Miss  Elizabeth  Dunn,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Dunn,  who  was  also  from  Eng- 
land.    She  died  May  27,  1878,  leaving  three 


^^ 


SAMPSON   BOTTRELL 


MRS.  SAMPSON   BOTTRELL 


I 


i 


i 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


565 


cliildrfii,  naniel\- :  I'jiinia  F.llen.  now  the 
wife  of  John  Arnold,  a  farmer  of  Christian 
county  ;  John  I),  and  Harry  S..  who  are  l)oth 
married  and  fohow  farmini^"  in  this  county. 
Mr.  Bottrell  was  again  married  June  ly. 
1879,  his  second  union  l)eing'  with  Miss 
Mary  C.  Leeper.  who  was  Ijorn  in  this 
county,  NovemI)er  17,  1856,  and  is  a.  daugh- 
ter of  \\'iniani  and  Catherine  (Smith) 
Leeper,  the  former  a  nati\e  of  Ohio  and  the 
latter  of  Madison  county,  lllincjis.  She  was 
only  fifteen  months  old  when  her  mother 
died,  and  her  father  departed  this  life  in 
January,  1879.  Six  children  have  Ijeen  horn 
to  our  suhject  and  his  wife,  namely  :  Mary 
E..  Augusta  J.,  (k)ldie  Lucy  Grace,  William 
Henry,  Thomas  W.  and  Alice  F.,  all  at 
home  with  their  parents. 

The  family  hold  memhership  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Mount  AAihtuii 
and  Mr.  Bottrell  has  always  taken  an  acti\e 
part  in  its  work,  contributing  more  than  his 
share  toward  the  huilding  of  the  church. 
He  is  now  serx-ing  as  trustee,  recording- 
steward,  collecting-  steward  and  treasurer  of 
the  same.  Politically  he  atfiliates  with  the 
Republican  party  anrl  for  ten  years  has  filled 
the  ofifice  of  school  director  in  a  most  cred- 
itable and  acceptable  manner.  He  has  ever 
given  an  earnest  support  to  all  measures 
wdiich  he  believes  calculated  to  advance  the 
moral,  educational  and  material  welfare  of 
the  community  in  which  he  resides.  Start- 
ing- out  in  life  Avith  no  cajjital,  he  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished 
and  is  entitled  to  prominent  mention  in  the 
history  of  his  adc^pted  county. 


THOMAS  C.  CLOYD. 

Prominent  among  the  business  men  of 
Morrisonville  is  numbered  l^homas  C. 
Cloyd,  who  is  now^  sole  owner  of  the  elec- 


tric light  plant  at  that  place,  having  jmr- 
chased  the  same  four  vears  ati"o.  He  has 
a  twenty  year  franchise  from  the  citv  and 
his  manag-ement  of  the  business  is  giving 
general  satisfaction  as  well  as  i)roving  a 
success  financially. 

Mr.  Cloyd  spent  h.is  early  life  on  a  farm, 
his  primary  education  being-  obtained  in  the 
country  schools.  His  grandfather  was 
David  Cloyd,  a  natix'e  of  Virginia  and  a 
pioneer  of  Illinois.  He  was  of  v^ccjtch  de- 
scent and  was  an  acti\-e  memljer  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  During  the 
Black  Hawk  war  he  entered  the  service  and 
aided  in  subduing  the  red  men.  Thomas 
Ci.  Cloyd,  our  subject's  father,  was  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years. 

Desiring-  a  better  education  than  was  af- 
forded by  the  district  schools,  Mr.  Cloyd 
took  a  hig-h  school  course  and  after  his  grad- 
uation became  a  student  at  the  State  Normal 
School  of  Missouri,  where  he  excelled  in 
mathematics.  To  this  day  many  difficult 
problems  are  brought  to  him  to  solve.  For 
twelve  years  he  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching-  school  and  then  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming-  near  Morrisonville,  making 
a  specialty  of  the  dairy  business.  He  has 
since  sold  his  farm  with  the  exception  of 
four  acres  now  within  the  citv  limits,  where 
he  and  his  family  now  make  their  home. 
He  has  platted  an  addition  to  Morrison- 
ville, known  as  the  Cloyd  addition  and  in 
his  real  estate  dealings  has  met  with  good 
success. 

Mr.  Cloyd  was  married  on  the  25th  of 
A])ril,  1878,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  W'inston,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  the  following  chil- 
dren: James,  Thomas,  Adelia  B.,  Nina  R., 
Charles  I)..  Albert  C.  Nellie,  Esther  and 
Edith.  Mr.  Cloyd  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party,  as  was  also  his  father, 


PAST  AXl)    I'KI'Sl'A'T 


and  he  has  been  honored  with  a  nunihcv  of 
local  offices,  servins;-  as  clerk  ot  lioth  the 
circnit  and  district  conrts.  as  assessor  of 
his  to\vnshi|)  and  as  a  member  of  the  connty 
Ixiard  of  supervisors  for  fonr  terms,  lie  is 
a  well  Informed  man  and  ])ro\ed  a  most 
capable  and  satisfactory  official.  h'rater- 
nallv  he  is  a  Mason,  beloni^ing-  to  the  blue 
kxlse  and  Kastern  Star  of  Morrisonville. 
and  he  is  also  connected  with  the  Conrt  of 
Honor  and  the  Fraternal  .\rmy. 


lA'ZKRX  D.  HORD. 
\\  hen  the  tocsin  of  war  sounded  and  men 
from  all  walks  of  life  tiocked  to  the  .stand- 
ard of  the  nation.  i)led«-in,<;-  their  allegiance 
to  the  su])port  of  the  Union  cause.  Ruzern 
D.  Horn  also  donned  the  blue  uniform  and 
became  a  defender  of  the  stars  and  stri])es. 
He  is  now  a  retired  merchant,  living  in  Tay- 
lorville  and  well  does  he  deserve  mention  in 
the  history  of  Christian  county.     A  native 
of  Marion  county.  Ohio.  Mr.  Hord  was  born 
in   1845.  "^  ^'^"  **^'  •^"'^I't'w  J.  and   ]\Iary  J- 
(Hyland)  Hord.     His  ])aternal  orandfather. 
Nathaniel   Hord.  was    reared     in  A^irginia. 
whence  he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  his  death 
occurred   when    he   was   si.\ty-two   years  of 
age.     The  maternal   grandfather.  Henry  J. 
Hyland.  was  for  many  years  a  resident  of 
Franklin  county.  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  the 
asre  of  seventv-two  vears.      He  was.   how- 
ever,  a  native  of  London,    l^ngland.   and  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of 
that  countrv.     .\ndrew  J.  Hord  was  born  in 
Rockingham  county.   X'irginia.  and  was  si.x 
vears  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to   Columbus.   Ohio, 
where    he   was    reared    and    educated.      He 
s\)ent   his  actixe  life  as  a    farmer   and   thus 
provided  a  comfortable  living  for  his  fam- 
ilv.      He  was  ciuite  prominent  in  local   jxv 
litical  circles  as  a  supporter  of  the  Democ- 


racy, his  o])inions  carrying  weight  in  the 
Councils  of  the  part  v.  He  belonged  to  the 
Cuml)erland  rresbyterian  church  and  died 
in  that  faith  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 
His  widow.  howe\er.  is  still  snr\i\ing  and 
has  now  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty 
xears.  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Fu- 
eene  1..  of  Kenton.  Ohio;  Luzern  D. :  (^live. 
the  deceased  wife  of  Cyrus  Tallman  :  John 
K..  of  Kilpatrick.  Ohio;  Charles,  ot  Needles. 
California:  Clement,  of  Neoga,  Illinois;  Al- 
zira.  tlie  wife  of  Alfred  Reed,  of  Shelby- 
ville.  Illinois;  and  Rilla  M. 

Mr.  Hord  of  this  review  received  but  lim- 
ited educational  pri\ileges  and  when  but  a 
bov  learned  the  butcher's  trade,  which  he 
followed  continuously  until  after  the  inaugu- 
ration of  the  Civil  war.  America  never  had 
a  more  loyal  citizen  than  Mr.  Hord  for  he 
is  to-day  as  true  as  he  was  during  the  dark 
hours  of  the  country's  struggle,  a  valiant 
defender  of  the  nation's  honor.  President 
Lincoln  issued  a  call  for  three  hundred  thou- 
sand volunteers  to  serve  for  three  years  or 
during  the  war.  M;miv  of  the  voung  men 
of  the  neighborhood  ni  which  Mr.  Hord  lived 
were  enlisting  and  ou.r  suljject,  then  a  hearty 
youth  of  seventeen  years,  concluded  to  fol- 
low their  example.  He  knew  there  was  no 
use  asking  for  parental  consent  for  he  would 
be  told  that  he  was  tiw  young.  He,  how- 
ever, felt  th.at  he  could  serve  as  well  as  any 
man  and  sli]i])ing  (|uietly  awa}-  Irom  home 
one  day  he  made  his  way  to  the  town  where 
he  saw  a  sight  that  i  nly  ser\-ed  to  increase 
his  i)atriotic  ardor.  bdags  were  waving. 
])eople  were  cheering  in  the  street  and  every 
eft'ort  was  being  ]n\{  forth  to  induce  more 
men  to  rally  around  the  llag.  Mr.  Hord  de- 
cided to  enlist  at  once  and  at  Mil  ford  Cen- 
ter in  Union  county.  Ohio,  on  the  7th  of 
lulw  1862,  he  enrolled  hi>  name  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  I),  Thirteenth  Regiment  of 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


o60 


Ohio  Volunteers,  in  ;i  day  or  so  he  was 
on  his  way  to  the  state  capital,  Columbus, 
and  he  spent  his  first  night  as  a  soldier  lying 
on  a  stone  floor  under  the  dome  of  the 
capitol  building-.  It  was  not  an  easy  couch 
for  the  boy  who  had  been  reared  amid  the 
comforts  of  a  good  home,  but  he  did  not 
complain  and  with  others  of  the  company 
went  to  Camp  Dennison,  near  Cincinnati, 
where  he  was  drilled  and  then  came  the 
muster  in.  The  regiment  was  made  a  part 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  which  was 
in  Mississippi,  and  the  first  real  battle  in 
which  Mr.  Hord  participated  was  at  luka. 
Following  the  battle  of  Corinth,  he  par- 
ticipated in  several  skirmishes  and  then  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  entered  the  com- 
mand of  General  Rosecrans  and  fought  the 
enemy  at  Stone  River,  Tennessee,  the  rebel 
troops  being  commanded  by  General  Bragg. 
The  battle  occurred  on  the  last  day  of  De- 
c'ember,  1862,  and  the  Union  troops  then, 
on  the  2d  of  January,  made  another  attack 
and  succeeded  in  drivings  General  Bragg 
from  the  field.  This  ended  Mr.  Hord's  serv- 
ice during  his  first  enlistment  for  he  became 
ill  with  the  measles  and  was  taken  to  the 
hospital  at  Nashville,  Tennessee.  His  father 
then  went  to  that  city  and  because  he  was 
not  yet  of  age  exercised  his  right  of  taking 
the  boy  home.  On  the  7th  of  November, 
1863,  Mr.  Hord  again  enlisted,  this  time  in 
Company  B,  Thirty-second  Ohio  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  under  General  Grant 
and  General  Sherman  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  During  the  last  year  he  marched  with 
Sherman's  army  from  the  vicinity  of  Chat- 
tanooga, Tennessee,  through  Georgia  to  the 
coast,  then  through  the  Carolinas  and  on  to 
Richmond  and  Petersburg,  thence  to  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  where  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1865,  with  the  thousands  of  victorious 
troops,  he  passed  the  reviewing  stand  in  the 


nation's  great  ca]jital,  which  was  the  great- 
est event  of  his  life. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Hord  gladl}' 
returned  to  his  home.  He  lived  with  Lewis 
Britton  in  his  native  town  near  Mechanics- 
burg,  Ohio,  continuing  with  him  until  the 
fall  of  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Shelby 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  carried  on  farm- 
ing until  1885.  He  then  became  a  resident 
of  Christian  county  and  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  here  until  1890,  when 
he  sold  his  farm  and  began  dealing  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  in  Millersville.  He  also 
served  as  postmaster  during  three  years  of 
President  Harrison's  administration.  In 
1893  he  disposed  of  his  store  and  removed 
to  Taylorville,  where  he  has  since  lived  re- 
tired, being  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable 
competence. 

In  September,  1871,  Mr.  Hord  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  I'.,  a  daughter 
of  Lorenzo  Fothagill,  of  Shelbyville,  Illi- 
nois. Four  children  graced  this  union  :  Ab 
vin,  who  married  Clara  Hodson;  Edgar, 
wdio  wedded  Alta  Horton ;  Walter,  who  mar- 
ried Katie  Oler;  and  Rosa,  at  home.  In  the 
spring  of  1861  Mr.  Hord  was  converted  at 
a  large  neighborhood  revival  and  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  became 
an  exhorter  and  in  1874  was  licensed  as  a 
local  preacher  of  his  denomination,  while 
since  1893  he  has  held  supernumerary  rela- 
tions to  the  ministry.  Ever  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  Christianity  and  its 
advancement,  his  labors  have  been  effective 
and  far-reaching  in  its  behalf.  His  life  has 
been  honorable,  his  actions  manly,  his  con- 
duct sincere  and  during  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  Christian  county  he  has  won 
the  regard  and  friendship  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  associated.  He  is  a  member  of 
F.  M.  Long  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  l>een 
coinniander  of  same  since  December,  1902. 


28 


570 


PAST   A XI)   l'R[-:SENT 


K.  j.  STOXI'. 

I\.  |.  Stone  is  well  kncwn  as  one  of  llie 
extensive  stock  farmers  of  Christian  county. 
He  does  a  large  annual  business  and  his  well 
conducted  affairs  have  gained  him  very  cred- 
itable success  so  that  to-day  he  is  numbered 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  county. 
He  was  born  in  Somersetshire,  England, 
October  i;^,,  185 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and 
Elizabeth  (Pouting)  Stone.  The  father 
was  a  contractor  and  builder  and  died  in  the 
year  1893,  but  the  mother  is  still  hving.  her 
home  being  in  Bath,  England.  The  son  ob- 
tained his  education  in  a  boarding  school  of 
his  native  country  and  in  his  youth  started 
out  upon  his  business  career  as  an  apprentice 
to  a  modeler. 

He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty  years 
when  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in 
America,  believing  that  he  might  have  better 
Inisiness  opportunities  in  the  new  world.  Ac- 
cordinglv,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
United  States,  arriving  on  the  ist  of  Octo- 
ber, 1 87 1.  Making  his  way  to  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  he  lived  with  his  uncle, 
T.  C.  Pouting,  in  Stonington  township, 
where  as  a  contractor  he  did  plastering  and 
ornamental  work  in  houses.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  three  years,  but  since  that  time 
has  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising. 
His  place  is  now  known  as  the  Maple  Gro\e 
stock  farm  and  it  has  gained  a  wide  reputa- 
tion. Mr.  Stone  began  importing  and  breed- 
ing Oxford  Down  sheep  and  in  this  enter- 
prise soon  gained  prosperity.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  successful  stock-raisers  of  this  part 
of  the  county  and  has  gained  more  prizes 
than  any  other  sheep  man  in  jVmerica.  He 
has  given  his  attention  entirely  to  show  stock 
and  now  has  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
head  of  very  fine  animals.  He  has  sold  his 
shee]:)  for  as  high  as  twelve  hundred  dollars 
])er  head  and  never  sold  one  for  less  than 


l\\cnly-fl\  c  dollars.     He  is  rni  excellent  judge       J 
ol   Slock  and  is.  therefore,  enabled  to  make 
judicious  ])urchases  and  pr(jfitable  sales.     He 
has  i)ut  all  of  the  improvements  u^x^n  his 
farm  and  now  has  a  fine  modern  sheep  barn, 
in  fact,  his  property  is  one  of  the  best  im- 
])ro\cd  in  the  state  and  he  has  refused  one 
hundred   and   fifty   dollars   per   acre   for   it. 
Annually  he  displays  his  sheep  at  all  the  fairs 
and  stock  shows  in  the  United  States  and      1 
the  i)rizes  that  he  has  won  indicate  that  he      ' 
stands  in  the  lead  among  the  sheep-raisers 
of  the  great  Mississippi  valley. 

On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1877,  Mr.  Stone 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Frances  Sa- 
lome Livergood,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Margaret  (Ober)  Livergood.  Her  father 
was  born  in  Lower  \Mndsor  township,  York 
county,  Pennsylvania,  October  8,  1825,  and 
was  a  son  of  Henry  and  Salome  (Ruby) 
Livergood,  who  were  wealthy  residents  of 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  where  Mrs.  Stone's 
grandfather  engaged  in  milling.  Her  father 
carried  on  merchandising  at  that  place  for 
some  time  and  there  married  Miss  Margaret 
Ober  on  the  19th  of  September,  1848.  ]\Irs. 
Livergood  was  born  in  Lancaster,  July  18, 
1825,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Ober. 
In  1850  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Livergood  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Sangamon  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  29th  of  November, 
1878.  In  his  family  were  eight  children. 
L'nto  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Stone  were  born  six 
children,  Init  Alyrtle  died  in  infancy.  Those 
still  living  are  Jessie,  who  married  Herbert 
Radwell  and  resides  with  Mr.  Stone;  Willie 
T.,  Francis  S.,  Tom  T.  and  Russell  H.,  all 
of  whom  ai;e  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

The  family  hold  membership  in  the  JNIeth- 
odist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Stone  is 
a  member  of  the  IModern  Woodmen  Camp  at 
I^tonington.     He  has  served  as  school  direc- 


R.  J.  STONE 


I 


MRS.   R.  J.  STONE 


JAMES    W.    COX 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


675 


tor  for  niatiy  terms  and  in  the  year  1902  was 
a  candidate  for  county  treasurer.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Repubhcan  and,  keeping  well 
informed  on  the  cjuestions  aind  issues  of  the 
day,  he  is  enabled  to  support  his  position  by 
intelligent  argument.  With  a  deep  love  for 
the  land  of  his  adoption  no  native  born  son 
of  America  has  a  more  loyal  attachment  to 
this  countiy  and  her  interests.  He  has  never 
had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to 
establish  his  home  in  America  for  here  he 
has  prospered  in  his  undertakings,  gaining 
success  through  legitimate  business  methods 
and  constantly  working  his  w^ay  upward  un- 
til he  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  as  well 
as  respected  citizens  of  Christian  county. 


JAMES    W.    COX. 

James  W.  Cox,  a  highly  esteemed  and 
honored  citizen  of  Pana,  was  born  in  Cler- 
mont county,  Ohio,  near  Camp  Dennison, 
on  the  24th  of  November,  1832,  and  is  a 
son  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Barber)  Cox,  na- 
tives of  New^  Jersey.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  Joshua  Cox,  also  a  native  of 
New-  Jersey  and  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  niarried  Miss  Nancy  Mount,  who  was 
born  in  the  same  state,  and  both  were  of 
English  descent.  He  lived  to  see  Cincinnati 
develop  from  a  village  of  log  cabins  into  a 
large  and  flourishing  city  and  died  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Through- 
out life  the  father  of  our  subject  also  fol- 
low'ed  farming.  In  his  family  were  twelve 
children:  Emily  B.,  George,  Rebecca  Ann 
and  Susan,  all  deceased ;  Joshua,  who  was 
named  for  his  grandfather;  James  W.,  of 
this  sketch;  Daniel,  a  resident  of  Hutchin- 
son, Kansas ;  Ludwell,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Eliz- 
abeth Cox,  a  resident  of  Clermont  county, 
Ohio;  Mary  J.  and  Martha,  both  deceased; 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 


Mr.  Cox,  whose  r.anie  introduces  this  re- 
view, was  reared  upon  a  farm  and  received 
his  education  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  On  the  8th  of  March,  1855, 
he  was  married  in  his  native  county  to  Miss 
Sarah  Lucinda  Orr,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Mary  (Hill)  Orr.  Not  long  after  his 
marriage  Mr.  Cox  and  his  A\ife  removed  to 
Knox  county,  Illinois,  and  he  purchased  a 
farm  near  Abingdon,  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Galesburg  in  the  military  tract.  The 
party  then  owning  it  was  living  in  England. 
Mr.  Cox  finally  traded  that  property  for  a 
tract  of  land  in  Pana  township.  Christian 
county,  on  which  he  located  in  1862.  This 
place  was  conveniently  located  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  Pana  and  was  successfully  oper- 
ated by  him  for  ten  years.  Although  he 
still  retained  the  land,  he  removed  to  Pana 
at  the  end  of  that  time  and  embarked  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business  with  a  part- 
ner but  this  venture  did  not  prove  a  success 
and  since  1881  he  has  given  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  farming  interests.  He  is 
now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  some  of  the  finest  land  in  Christian 
county  and  in  his  farming  operations  has 
steadily  prospered  as  he  thoroughly  under- 
stands the  occupation  which  he  follows  and 
is  a  man  of  good  business  ability  and  sound 
judgment. 

Mr.  Cox's  first  w-ife  died  on  the  7th  of 
July,  1895,  '^"^^  the  only  child  born  of  that 
union,  Sarah  L.,  named  for  her  mother,  died 
at  the  age  of  three  years.  Our  subject  was 
again  married  November  26.  1896,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Dr.  Ella  B.  Rutledge. 
a  physician  and  surgeon,  who  was  graduated 
at  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College  in  1889. 
j\t  present  she  is  only  engaged  in  office  prac- 
tice but  is  a  very  capable  physician  and  is 
well  informed  on  many  subjects.  Her  par- 
ents w^ere  James  E.  and  Caroline  M.  (Gors- 


.Mfi 


I'ASr   AM)   I'Kl'.SKNT 


line)  l\ntk'(l,i;f,  l)(>tli  ii;ili\  cs  ol"  (  )!ii(i.  Iler 
paUTii.ii  ,i;i",m(ll';itlK'r.  'riidiiias  UutU'dL^e, 
came  til  tins  (.•dinilrv  Iroiii  Scotland  and  was 
a  i^radnatc  ol  the  ( ilas^ow  l'ni\ci"sity.  Jn 
the  immediate  family  are  three  physicians. 
The  (lorslines  were  of  h^rench  orit^'in  and 
came  to  America  from  1*" ranee  at  the  time 
of  the  h'rench  IvCN'ohition.  They  owned  con- 
siderahle  i)ropert}-  in  h'rance  and  l)ronght 
many  \alnables  to  this  country. 

Since  1880  Mr.  Cox  has  li\ed  at  his  i)res- 
ent  home  on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Maple 
streets,  Pana.  and  is  one  of  the  most  hig"hly 
respected  citizens  of  the  i)lace.  Me  ser\'ed 
as  a  member  of  tlie  city  conncil  one  term 
and  while  residing"  in  the  conntrv  held  the 
otiices  of  school  director  and  trustee  for 
some  time.  In  politics  he  was  originally  an 
old  line  A\'hig-  l)nt  now  supports  the  Repub- 
lican! ])artv  at  national  elections  and  supports 
the  men  whom  he  Ijeheves  best  (|nalilied  for 
office  regardless  of  party  ties  at  local  elec- 
tions. Religiously  he  is  an  active  and  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Methodist  church  and 
is  ser\ing  as  trustee  of  the  church.  He  was 
a  meml)er  of  the  birdding"  committee  when 
the  house  of  worshi])  was  erected  and  at  one 
time  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school.  In  all  the  relations  of  life  he  has 
been  found  true  to  every  trust  reposed  in 
him  and  well  merits  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  uniformly  held  by  his  fellow- 
citizens. 


H.  C.  BOHN. 

The  prosperity  of  any  community  depends 
upon  its  business  actix'it}'  and  the  (enterprise 
manifest  in  commercial  circles  is  the  fcnuida- 
tion  upon  which  is  builded  the  material  wel- 
fare ot  town,  state  and  nation.  The  most 
im])ortant  in  ])ublic  life  at  the  i)resent  dav 
.are  theref(M-e  the  men  who  are  in  control  of 
successful  business  interests  and  such  a  one 


is  II.  (".  liohn,  the  present  mayor  of  Mor- 
rison\'ille. 

A  native  of  renns_\l\ania,  he  was  lH)ni 
in  I'ranklin  count}',  that  state,  October  15, 
1843,  and  is  a  .son  of  Adam  and  Catherine 
Tiohn.  The  mother  died  in  1846  when  our 
subject  was  only  three  years  of  age.  The 
father  was  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
a  son  of  Adam  Bohn,  who  came  to  this 
country  from  Germany  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  Pennsylvania,  making 
his  home  in  Frankdin  county  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  dying  there  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-seven.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  successful  farmer  and  an  earnest 
and  consistent  member  of  the  Dunkard 
church.  He  w^as  eighty-five  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  early  life  of  H.  C.  Bohn  was  passed 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  he  obtained  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. Farm  work  not  being  congenial 
to  him,  he  finally  left  the  parental  roof  and 
entered  upon  his  mercantile  career,  his  tastes 
being  along  that  line.  The  success  that  he 
has  since  achieved  shows  the  wisdom  of  his 
choice  of  occupations.  Coming  to  Morrison- 
ville,  Illinois,  in  1883  he  embarked  in  busi- 
ness as  a  dealer  in  clothing,  gent's  furnishing 
goods,  hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes,  his  stock 
being  valued  at  about  seven  thousand  dol- 
lars. Since  then  he  has  gradually  increased 
his  business  from  year  to  year  until  he  now^ 
carries  a  stock  amounting  to  about  thirty 
thousand  dollars,  his  being  one  of  the  finest 
stores  in  his  line  in  the  county.  In  1887 
he  erected  the  store  building  wdiich  he  now 
occupies,  it  being  twenty-two  by  one  hun- 
dred feet  in  dimensions  and  completely  filled 
w  ith  his  well  selected  stock  of  goods.  Be- 
sides this  property  he  owns  a  nice  modern 
residence  occupying  four  lots,  which  was 
purchased  by  him  in  1886. 


CHRISTIAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


577 


On  the  8th  of  November,  1865,  Mr.  Bohn 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Fran- 
cis, a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret 
Francis.  Her  father  Avas  of  Irish 
descent,  while  her  mother  belonged  to  an 
old  Virginian  family.  Mr.  Bohn  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  Mor- 
risonville  since  locating  here,  always  lend- 
ing his  influence  for  the  upbuilding  and  im- 
provement of  the  city  even  though  it  tem- 
porarily injured  his  interests,  but  he  could 
look  ahead  into  the  future  and  see  the  bene- 
fits to  be  derived  therefrom.  He  has  al- 
ways given  liberally  toward  any  enterprise 
which  would  promote  the  public  welfare. 
Both'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bohn  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  also  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp,  No. 
330;  the  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  681,  of  Mor- 
risonville;  and  the  chapter  at  Taylorville. 

Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Bohn 
has  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party  and 
has  taken  a  very  active  and  influential  part 
in  local  politics.  In  the  spring  of  1886  he 
was  elected  mayor  of  Morrisonville,  and  so 
acceptably  did  he  fill  that  office  that  he  has 
been  re-elected  on  six  different  occasions, 
being  the  present  incumbent.  Never  but 
once  was  he  defeated  at  the  polls  and  that 
was  on  account  of  his  advocating  the  estab- 
lishment of  water  works.  Never  were  the 
reins  of  city  government  in  more  capable 
hands,  for  he  is  a  progressive  man,  pre- 
eminently public  spirited,  and  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  public  welfare  receives  his  hearty 
endorsement.  He  has  also  served  as  county 
supervisor  and  for  nine  years  has  been  school 


trustee,  which  fact  indicates  the  interest  he 
takes  in  educational  affairs.  His  various 
public  duties  have  been  discharged  with  a 
promptness  and  fidelity  worthy  of  the  high- 
est commendation. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OF  AS-. 
SUMPTION. 

At  Tacusa,  Illinois,  May  7,  1859,  by  ap- 
pointment of  the  Sangamon  Presbytery  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  Rev.  H.  R.  Lewis 
proceeded  to  organize  a  Presbyterian  church, 
previous  notice  ha\ing  ]:)een  given  the  peo- 
ple of  the  communit}',  who  assembled  at 
the  house  of  Marcus  L.  Barrett,  ni  Tacusa, 
Christian  county,  at  two  o'clock,  p.  m.,  on 
that  day.  Whereupon  the  following  named 
persons  were  received  and  their  names  en- 
rolled as  members  of  the  said  clnuch  organ- 
ization, to  wit :  James  S.  Travis,  Catharine 
Travis,  George  W  hite,  Helen  A.  White, 
Sarah  Travis.  Anna  Belle  Travis,  Willian", 
Travis,  Jane  Travis  (daughter  of  Marcus 
L.  Barrett),  S.  C.  Scheller,  Hannah  Schei 
ler,  Marcus  L.  Barrett,  Nancy  Barrett, 
Sarah  Lanham  (daughter  of  Marcus  L. 
Barrett),  Luceba  Barrett,  Daniel  Gahagin, 
William  Randolph,  Clarinda  C.  Randolph, 
]Margaret  Simpson,  John  A.  Calhoun,  W'ill- 
iam  J.  Calhoun.  Mary  Calhoun,  Martha  ('•. 
Calhoun,  Margaret  C.  Calhoun,  Elizabctli 
Calhoun  and  J.  Calhoun.  Rev.  C.  Lowckn 
succeeded  Rev.  Lewis,  his  first  scrnicn 
being  preached  June  22,  1861,  and  on  the 
same  day  Z.  Lanham  was  elected  ruling 
elder. 


INDEX. 


HISTORICAL. 

Page 

Introductory     7 

Early  Settlement 9 

First  Settlement  and  Early  Settlements 12 

The  Organization  and  ( irowth  of  Christian  County 30 

Township  Organization    37 

Finances  of  the  County 38 

County  Jail    40 

Justices  Districts 44 

Circuit  Court 46 

Bench  and  Bar 48 

Prosecuting  Attorneys    51 

Resident  Lawyers   52 

Present  Memhers  of  the  Bar 56 

Incidents  of  Early  Days 60 

Reynolds'  History 67 

A  Pathetic  Speech  Spoiled .  74 

The  "  Bull  Pen  ''  or  Pugilistic  Times 75 

The  Militia  System    75 

A  Deep  Snow   76 

The  Sudden  Freeze 78 

The  Rainy  Season yS 

The  Cyclone  of  1880 79 

Christian  County's  Heroes  in  War   83 

The  Black  Hawk  War  in  1832 85 

The  Mexican  War   87 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion .  87 

Draft    88 

Soldiers'  Aid  Society   89 

r4th  Infantry    89 

14th  and  15th  Illinois  Veteran  Battalion   90 

41st  Infantry  Regiment   93 

130th  Infantry  Regiment   106 

3rd  Cavalry  Regiment   no 

5th  Cavalry  Regiment   .*  1 1 1 

6th  Cavalry  Regiment    112 

7th  Cavalry  Regiment 113 


I  N  D  KX 


HISTORICAL. 

Page 

Introductory     7 

Early  Settlement 9 

First  Settlement  and  Earlv  Settlements 12 

The  Organization  and  Growth  of  Christian  Count)- 30 

Township  Organization    37 

Finances  of  the  County 38 

County  Jail    40 

Justices  Districts 44 

Circuit  Court 46 

Bench  and  Bar   - 48 

Prosecuting  Attorneys    51 

Resident  Lawyers   5^ 

Present  Memhers  of  the  Bar 5^ 

Incidents  of  Early  Days 60 

Reynolds'  History 67 

A  Pathetic  Speech  Spoiled   74 

The  "  Bull  Pen  "  or  Pugilistic  Times 75 

The  Militia  System    75 

A  Deep  Snow   7^ 

The  Sudden  Freeze 7^ 

The  Rainy  Season 7^ 

The  Cyclone  of  1880 79 

Christian  County's  Heroes  in  War 83 

The  Black  Hawk  War  in  1832 85 

The  Mexican  War   87 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion •  87 

Draft    88 

Soldiers'  Aid  Society   89 

14th  Infantry    89 

14th  and  15th  Illinois  Veteran  Battalion   90 

41st  Infantry  Regiment 93 

130th  Infantry  Regiment   106 

3rd  Cavalry  Regiment   no 

5th  Cavalry  Regiment   .*  1 1 1 

6th  Cavalrv  Regiment    112 

7th  Cavalry  Regiment 113 


580  INDEX. 

Page 

8th  Cavalry  Regiment 113 

loth  Cavalry  Regiment    113 

I  ith  Cavalry  Regiment 115 

T6th  Cavalry  Regiment    115 

I  St  Artillery 115 

2d  iVrtillery 115 

29th  U.  S.  Colored  Infantr)-   115 

13th  U.  S.  Colored  Artillery 115 

Miscellaneous  Organizations    '. 116 

Spanish- American  War    ^ 116 

The  Press    118 

Schools    124 

Churches    129 

Transportation     131 

Coal 134 

Drainage    135 

Conclusion    -,  143 


I  N  DKX. 


Page 

Adams,   Edward   E 399 

Adams,   George   W 233 

Adams,     Isom 514 

Aldricli,     Levi 487 

Alexander,    James    H 199 

Alexander,  W.  H 412 

Allison,  W.  E 362 

Anderson,  F.  W 245 

Anderson,  W.  W 180 

Andrews,  W.  E 223 

Assumption    News Soi 

Assumption   Presbyterian 
Church   577 

Baldwin,  Rev.  Caleb  P 520 

Baldwin,  W.  M.  &  C.   P....  524 

Balsley,    Andrew    D 231 

Barnes,    A.    G 493 

Barrett,    G.    F 187 

Bartlett,    Lewis 246 

Bates,   Z.   F 251 

Beaulieu,    Mrs.    Charles 438 

Beck,  William  H 478 

Beckenhcimer,     Benjamin....  492 

Berry,  Mrs.  Isabell 483 

Berry,    T.    T 394 

Bertmann,  J.  H 384 

Eilyeu,  Jacob 494 

Bilyeu,  John  S 340 

Bohn,  H.  C 5/6 

Bollinger,    Daniel    S 33i 

Bollinger,   H.   C 302 

BolHnger,  W.  E 355 

Bottrell,    Sampson 560 

Bowman,   J.    A 316 

Boyd,  J.  L 458 

Brents,  T.  W 446 

Bridges,  Dr.  W.  T 256 

Broehl,   Julius 325 

Brown,    J.  W 224 

Burdick,  C.  S 525 

Burke,  Henry  J 425 

Caldwell,  J.  J 172 

Campbell,  J.  W S02 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Page 

Chamberlain,     William 174 

Clark,  Y.  B 168 

Claussen,   G.   E 291 

Cloyd,    T.    C 56s 

Cofifman,    William    D 423 

Coonrod.   E.   G 318 

Coonrod,  O.   P 559 

Cornell,  O.   0 491 

Corzine,    L    S 297 

Corzine,     Warren 542 

Cowan,    Joseph 437 

Cox,  James  W 575 

Crow,  Dr.  Oliver  L 284 

Culp,    S.   W 277 

Dalbey,    W.    M 311 

Danford,  H.   A 393 

Daniels,  D.   0 380 

Davidson,    Albert 374 

Davis,  Charles  E 431 

Davis,    Dial 426 

Davis,    D.    T 364 

Davis,     Henry 152 

L)echene,    Rev.   Joseph 205 

Devlin,  Thomas   H 503 

De   Wolf,  Joseph 414 

De  Wolf,  William 539 

Downs,  James  H 253 

Doyle,    Daniel 252 

Drake,    Cornelius 416 

Drennan,  James  L 409 

Eaton,  J.  S 165 

Ebert,    Philip 470 

Edmunds,    Edwin 422 

Ettinger,  Hayden  &  Allen...  210 
Evans,   Mrs.   Laura   B 285 

Fitzgerald,  Michael  J 451 

Forrester,     Edward 328 

Fby,  Judge  Vincent  E 488 

Fraley,   O.  B 370 

Funderburk,  Dr.  M.  L 406 

Gardner,    Henry  T 163 


Page 

Gates,  C.  O   199 

Gauer,  O.  F 411 

Gibson,   Dr.   A    T 294 

Goodrich,  William  A 381 

Gorden,    I.    B 286 

Graham,  H.  M 189 

Griswold,  D.  A 240 

Grundy,    Lyman    G 280 

Hailey,  B.  H 156 

Haines,     Fletcher 317 

Hall,  Charles 449 

Hammer,  Dr.  A.  F 479 

Hammer,  H.  L 369 

Harrington,   J.   R 312 

Haverfield,    S.    N 405 

Hedden,  A.  S 322 

Herdman,  H.  H 333 

Higginbotham.  E.  A 260 

Hight,  Ervel  W 164 

Kight,    Karl 370 

Hill,   Charles   H 349 

Hise,  Charles  M 420 

Hodge,  C.   F 482 

Hodge,  J.    P 481 

Holben,  Dr.  R.  E 449 

Hord,  L.   D 566 

Housley,  O.  Z 468 

Howard,    Clinton 373 

Howell,    F.    W 274 

Humphreys,   E.   A 293 

Johns,    Robert 178 

Johnson,  A.  J 439 

Johnson,    H.    W 473 

Johnson,    Leo 421 

Johnson,    Richard 490 

Johnson,  Dr.  R.  W 387 

Johnson,   Wade   F 526 

Johnston,  D.  W 278 

Jordan,   W.    J 334 

Keating,     Dennis 548 

Kirk,    A.    B 447 

Kirk,  C.  D 357 


582 


INDEX. 


Page 

Kitchell,  J.  W   I94 

Kramer,   I.    T 208 

Krieger,  A.   F 379 

Lacharite,    David 270 

1  ambert,  Joseph   T 229 

Langley,  H.  M 419 

Leathers,   L.    P 455 

Little,  Dr.  J.  M 209 

Little.   Otis 207 

Little,    Robert 190 

Lloyd   Brothers 54i 

Lockwood,  James   W 367 

Long,  W.  L 212 

Lovering,  Charles  G 534 

McBride,    J.    C I47 

McCauley,  R.  C 452 

McDonald,    William    H 323 

Manners,  C  A < 200 

Marshall,    Robert 338 

Micenhimmer,   O.   K 498 

Miller,  H.   C 45o 

Miller,   P.   O.... 310 

Milligan,  Dr.  G.  W. 403 

Montgomery,   Charles   A 502 

Montgomery,  John  C 339 

Mooney,  E.  R 432 

Moore,  A.  D 421 

Moore,  A.   L 518 

Moore,  James  M 519 

Moore,  John  P 5i7 

Moore,   S.   D 347 

Moran,    John S04 

Morgan,  L.  T 481 

Morrison,   Robert 468 

Morrison,  W.  W I55 

Murphy,   J.    W 162 

Neff,  Roscoe  C 332 

Neu,    Florin 303 

Newkirk,  Dr.  H.  Milo 324 

Newton,    Robert 499 

Nicodemus,  W.  K 484 

Ntitt,    Joseph 356 


Page 

Orr,  R.  W 166 

Orr.   John 45i 

Osbern,  C.  R 441 

Oyler,    Smith 2ir 

Paddock,  Joseph   W 424 

Paddock,    Oscar   H 532 

Parish,  George  A 474 

Parker,   C.    M 460 

Parrish,   B.    F 383 

Peabody,    Allen 151 

Peek,    L.    F 404 

Pence,  Ruben  K 298 

Penwell,  George  V 218 

Penwell,    Warren 221 

Picker,    Samue! 299 

Pierpoint,    J.    J 470 

Potts,  Cyrus  A 309 

Potts,   Rufus   M 300 

Pouder,    Isaiah 377 

Powel,  H.  M 186 

Rasar,  William  L 432 

Reed,     Frank 440 

Reese,  Jesse   E 550 

Rhodes,  A.   A 378 

Rhodes,  Edward  J 345 

Ricks,  J.  B 234 

Ritscher,    George 230 

Rockey,  Dr.  A.   P 261 

Ruby,  Edwin 255 

Russell,    T.  F 352 

Sailsbery,  F.  P 250 

Saling,  Dr.  W.  J 150 

Sands,  W.  E 249 

Schlierbach,   Louis ;  259 

Schuyler,   H.    N 158 

Sckowska,    Julius 243 

Sharp,  J.   R 497 

Sharrock,  J.   E 268 

Shaw,  W.  H 188 

Short,  Dr.  W.  T 273 

Shumway,    D.    D 202 

Shumway,  Major  D.  D 372 


Page 

Shumway,  J.   N.   C 149 

Simons,     Joseph 462 

Simpson,    John 540 

Simpson,    Thomas 262 

Smedley,  L.  E 456 

Smith,    A.   B 244 

Smith,  A.  M 185 

Smith',  E.  O.,  Jr 556 

Smith,  E.  O.,  Sr 550 

Smith,  J.  Will 446 

Snyder,    S.  J 35i 

Solliday,  J.  H 304 

Solliday,  Dr.  M.  H 315 

Stattner,  W.  M 269 

Stewart,   J.    E 491 

Stone,   R.   J 570 

Swim,   William 442 

Taylor,   Frank   L 512 

TedHe,   Miss   Matilda 461 

Tobias,  Henry  H 358 

Travis,   Harry 413 

Turner,    B.    A 232 

Turner,  W.  E 283 

Vidler,  T.  J 39i 

Wallace,   J.    S 327 

Wareham,    Joseph 363 

Warner,    A.   N 414 

Watson,  Edward  C 239 

Weiser,  Fred  F 184 

Wenzler,    Christian 47 1 

Wenzler,  J.  E 472 

Wheeler,     Fred 512 

Widick,    William 549 

Williamson,  Dr.  T.  H 556 

Wilson,  J.   S 448 

Windsor,  Dr.  B.  P 279 

Winklepleck,  C.  D 172 

Winters,  B.  F 221 

Winters,  William  Q 389 

Wucherpfennig.    Christoph ...  392 

Yarnell,  Henry  J i73 

Young,    Landaline 326 


I 


I 


